Assassin's Creed: Restoration
by AzureEclipse007
Summary: The assassins have all but died out. The last remains of the Osaka brotherhood are left with the responsibility of restoring the peace to the world. Assassin Issei x harem. OC x harem.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone, I've decided to play my hand once more in a Highschool DxD fanfiction. This one as you can see will have our hooded heroes, the assassins.

Now, I'll just be forward here.

Anything, that is a flame, or even coming close to one, will simply be ignored.

Now, if you want to suggest an idea, or provide some constructive criticism, that is alright.

Yes, Issei is an assassin.

Right. Now that we are all set, Let's start.

Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DxD. Two things I do own, are this story, and my oc.

* * *

Knights ran out of the castle, rushing to defend their fortress from their enemies. The attackers had sacked the village, causing the people to retreat into the fortress walls, for it was their only safe haven.

A small group of Captains were meeting together in the midst of the chaos, forming a plan.

"What is our strategy?"

"I want you two to rally the men, and drive the attackers into open, and have our archers massacre them." The main Captain addressed them, and they left to carry out their orders.

He turned to the other two. "I want you to carry out this message to the master, have him get safely away from here." Ben he turned to address the last one.

"Your job, will be to-"

He didn't finish when a robed figure dropped from the ceiling and killed the subordinate he was speaking to.

"Who are you? You don't look like a soldier." The Captain said, unsheathing his sword.

The figure didn't respond, instead drawing a sleek sword from his back and rushing straight towards him.

The knight fought the mystery man with great valor and strength, but he was outwitted. The man used a underhand tactic, by kicking the table toward him, stunning him for long enough. The robed killer took a small knife, and with precision of the lightning that struck from above, it buried itself in his heart.

The shadowy killer quickly moved towards the corpse and searched its body. He found a book, exactly what he needed. His head whipped behind him, hearing more men approaching, and hastily made his escape into the battle filled night.

* * *

"What did you find that night grandpa?" Issei asked, sitting across from his grandfather.

The old assassin chuckled at his grandson's curiosity.

"Let's just say, if I hadn't found that letter, your father and mother may have never met." Issei rolled his eyes, but smiled regardless. Even in his near death state of age, Hanzo Hyoudou stilled enjoyed having fun.

"What do you think of the story, Indra?" Issei turned his head to his life long, old friend sitting in the chair behind him. He was occupied, drawing in a sketchbook, but he had been listening.

"Interesting." Was his brief response. Issei sighed, while Hanzo chuckled.

"I hope you never change Indra." Hanzo said, getting up from his seat.

"Let me help grandpa." Issei put one of his arms under his grandfather's and helped him over to a shelf. It had various objects on it, but there was one that the old assassin was going for. It was small box.

He grabbed it, and with Issei's help, sat back down in his chair.

"Issei, this is very important, and I feel like it is time." He said mysteriously.

"You mean..." Issei let the question hang, wondering why his grandpa was doing this now.

"Yes, I do." He opened the box, and pulled out the item that both assassins and templars fought to obtain. The apple of Eden.

"Issei, Indra, you are a few of the last assassins of the brotherhood. As my last deed, I give this artifact to you." Hanzo gave Issei the apple, treating it with great care.

"Please, do not abuse this. Use it, only when you have lost your way." Hanzo warned.

"Thank you grandpa."

"Thank you master."

Issei and Indra bowed respectively.

* * *

The sky was clear, but the wind carried the sad message of Hanzo's passing. Issei and Indra stood by the coffin, as it burned to ash, and Hanzo's secrets along with him.

Issei stood stoic as he watched his grandfather leave the world. He felt Indra put a hand on his shoulder, as a gesture for comfort, but he did not need it. Issei was happy that Hanzo finally got his rest, he deserved it.

"Now it's our turn, Indra." He said, turning to his old friend.

Indra nodded and followed Issei to a hideout, left for them.

(A/N: Their hideout is the same as the one in Assassin's Creed Revelations.)

They found the entrance to the hideout, which was on the outskirts in one of the more diverse districts of Kuoh.

"He really went out, huh?" Issei commented as he looked around.

The water was a nice touch. Were those... Never mind, he didn't want to know why Hanzo had those here.

"It's large." Indra said, his eyes roaming around the main section of the hideout.

"Maybe we can fill it out someday." Issei replied.

Being the last of your kind wasn't exactly a comfortable thought.

Issei walked towards a desk with a map of the region on it. There was a note addressed to him and Indra.

It read, "Issei, Indra, as much as I know this will put you in a confined space, I had some documents prepared for you to enroll in the local academy. This will give you another cover as to help blend in."

Issei looked through one of the drawers in the desk, and surely enough, there were two school uniforms inside, neatly folded and clean.

"Well, it's not exactly what I had in mind, but it will give us a good start." Issei handed Indra his uniform and they both put them on.

They couldn't carry any of their equipment with them except for their hidden blades, but that was all they would need.

Issei checked the time after getting his uniform on, it was five minutes till 8:00am. School started at 8:30. They had plenty of time to spare for their arrival.

"Ready to go Indra?" The quiet assassin shook his head, which made Issei chuckle. Unless he knew you well enough, Indra was not the social type.

We have time, so let's get going." Issei said, checking his blades. Their vambraces matched with the color scheme of their uniforms, and even looked like they were part of it, so there was no worrying about them being found out.

* * *

"I was expecting something a little bigger, but it's not bad at all." Issei commented as the two walked passed the gates.

As the two walked, they noticed that there were more female students than males here.

"Don't tell me this is just a brothel designed to look like school." Issei whispered. Indra rolled his eyes. Hanzo probably knew about this, and left them in the dark, as a last pinch at having fun before he died.

"Nothing we can do." Indra commented quietly, just barely enough to be heard.

They entered the lobby and couldn't see any staff members in sight. Issei walked up to a girl with pink hair, and decided to ask her for help.

"Hello miss, could you point me and my friend here to the principal's office?" He asked. The girl blushed when she turned to answer him. "I-it's just up those stairs, and t-take a right." She responded while blushing madly at the sight of the brunette before her.

Issei gave her a charming smile and thanked her. "Thank you miss..."

"Katase! My name is Katase. What's yours?" She introduced herself.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou, and my friend here is Indra Kaneshiro." Indra waved his hand in small greeting, not wanting to speak at the moment.

"It's nice to meet you Issei, Indra." Katase replied with a smile.

"Well, it's been pleasure Katase, I hope we meet again soon. Come, Indra." The two left to go to the principal's office.

They came up to a long hall, filled with many doors, which Issei assumed to be either staff or storage rooms. Using eagle vision, Issei found the door highlighted in gold, three down to the left and entered.

Sitting at a desk was a women, who appeared to be in her early twenties. She had long scarlet hair and dark, chocolate brown eyes, her skin was a perfect cream color.

(A/N: This character is just made up, she is NOT a Gremory.)

"Hello, I'm the principal, Ms. Catherine Sweetwater. Are you here to enroll?"

Issei handed her his and Indra's forms. "Yes. We were hoping to start as soon as possible." Catherine looked them over thoroughly before nodded in satisfaction, and handed them back.

"Well, everything checked out, you boys are good. You start today, your homeroom will be class 2B. It's going to be on this floor and two halls on the left."

"Thank you m'am." The two shuffles our of the room and found their class after 5 minutes.

Issei knocked on the door, and the teacher, another beautiful women, answered the door.

"Oh hello, you're the new boys right?" She smiled. "Come on in, and introduce yourselves to the class, and we will resume the lesson."

The class got quiet and Issei introduced himself first.

"Hello, my name is Issei Hyoudou, and I hope we can get along well with each other." He gave a smile making some of the girls giggle and blush. The males in the room immediately did not like him.

"Damn pretty boys." He heard someone mutter under their breath.

"Please take a seat by Ms Himejima, and you can introduce yourself as well." She addressed Indra.

"I am Indra Kaneshiro, it's a pleasure." He greeted briefly.

"You can sit behind Ms Gremory." He took his seat and the class went on, with the two assassins catching onto the lesson quickly.

* * *

School was over for the day, and the students were all attending their after school activities or going home.

"There is something strange about those two boys." Sona said, watching them interact with some girls from the Kendo club.

"Should we keep them under watch?" Asked her Queen.

"I believe so, just to be safe." Sona replied. "Tsubaki, I want you, Reya, and Momo to keep an eye on them."

Tsubaki nodded and left. "Understood."

Sona turned her attention back out of the window, peering down at the mysterious boys.

Issei was a brunette with brown eyes, messy hair, and appeared to be of a fit build.

His friend, Indra, had short snowy white hair, neon green eyes, and was of the same build. She noted he was a bit on the pale side.

"Interesting." She turned her attention to the papers on her desk that needed to be done.

With Issei, he had suggested having a spar, and the kendo girls gave him permission to have it in their club building.

"Thank you." He said, making some of them blush at the smile he was giving.

Issei just had that playboy effect that really attracted the opposite gender. He was not a pervert, but he did not mind appreciating the female body.

"So Indra, hand-to-hand, or armed?" Issei asked his partner.

Indra took a shinai from one of the girls, with her permission and took a spot on the mat. Issei nodded at his choice and took a shinai as well.

The two gazed into each other's eyes, seemingly reading the other's thoughts.

They both attacked with quick and precise moves, not wasting any of their strength.

On the side, the girls watched, impressed beyond words. It was like watching two professional swordsmen at work, showcasing their very apparent skill to an audience of eager learners.

The two spent nearly 15 minutes sparring and it came to an end, with a draw, seeing as not one of them could land a hit on the other.

"We're still on point." Issei panted slightly. Indra nodded in agreement with his friend and they both handed the borrowed shinai back, before leaving the club.

While the two walked back to their hideout, Issei informed Indra of a few targets around the city.

"We have two targets. There's a man selling off girls through a strip club, and then another man, a doctor who needs to be 'healed'." Indra nodded in understanding.

"What is your decision?" Indra asked.

"I want you to go for the girls. I attract too much female attention as it is." While Indra did not like being near anything that was close to a brothel, he knew that it was necessary. Nodding, Indra kept that in mind as the two entered the hideout to Ready their equipment.

It was time to work.

* * *

The doctor was a man with a rather, dry passion. This passion, was sadism. No, it wasn't the fetish of being rough with another person. This was pure sadism, of a cold blooded nature.

His latest victim was a young girl, about 9 years of age.

She shivered in fear, as the doctor gazed down at her with a uncaring expression. The test was simple. Inject her with the poison, note the effects, and sell it for profit.

The doctor raised his vial, ready to start. Had he actually looked at the syringe closely enough, he would have seen a white, robed silhouette creep by.

'Time to begin.' With that thought the doctor moved in close, making the girl struggle against her restraints. She cried out for someone, anyone to help her, but no one would answer the call.

Right as the doctor held the needle, just barely and inch from her skin, he heard the sound of glass shattering. He turned around to see one of his special poison bottles had fallen to the floor. But in the puddle of razor shards, were a set of feet, feet that belonged to a hooded figure in white robes.

Numb. That was what the doctor felt as he tried to move to apprehend this intruder, but he lost his footing, and fell to the floor, black consuming his vision.

The hooded figure turned their attention to the quivering girl on the table and moved to her at a gentle pace. The girl couldn't help but feel safe, with whoever this person was. She could feel the serenity coming off of him in soothing waves.

The restraints holding her were cut, by what, she did not see, for it was too quick.

"Come along little one, let's get you out of this place." The voice was male. It was a gentle tenor that put her at ease. The girl complied, taking hold of the stranger's hand as he guided her out.

In a modest strip club, known as the Red Dress. There was a celebration, a dark celebration. A slave trader, has been using the strip club as a front for forcing girls, ranging from varieties of ages to work as dancers, bartenders, and overall prostitutes.

The slave trader himself watched from a booth above the turntables where the DJ did his work. He smiled seeing how much money was coming in. He felt like taking a dance and went down to the floor and grabbed a girl by random. He spun her around and in his drunken state, gave her rump a hard smack.

As he spun he felt someone give him something, a syringe. He smiled seeing how generous the club was as to give him just the stuff he needed to cool down. Injecting himself with the liquid, he could feel himself drifting already. It was as if he were sitting on lounge chair on a sunny beach. Until he started seeing blues crossing his vision every so often. The blurs were white, that much he could tell.

He looked around, only to feel something hit him in his throat. He tried talking, but the drug must have had a very strong effect to make him see things like this. It wasn't until he felt something wet running down his chest, that he reached up to his throat and felt the same wetness. He looked at his hand to see it stained crimson red.

He collapsed to floor dead, and not a single person could identify the killer, nor would they ever.

* * *

Character bio

Name: Issei Hyoudou

Age: Born September 15, 1998 (Currently 17)

Rank: Master Assassin

Personality: Born into the order, and an assassin by choice. Issei is a calm and kind soul, and has a refined sense of humor. He is quite easy to converse with, but he keeps his socializing to a certain limit to avoid ever spilling information to people who shouldn't know of said knowledge.

Weapons:

Hidden blades: New fashioned hidden blades made of stronger steel alloy. The right has been modified with a hookblade attachment.

Nodachi: A standard, and elegant nodachi.

44\. Magnum revolver: A magnum revolver used for multiple ranged kills.

Hunting crossbow:A modified hunting crossbow that can revolve, reloading itself, as well as be used for stealth ranged kills.

SOG knife: A stolen American SOG knife from when he visited the country as a child.

Equipment:

Assassin notebook: Used by Issei to catalog and express inner thoughts as well as store vital information.

Assassin robes: New set of traditional robes, consisting of a modified kimono and hakama pants.

Modern bracers: New traditional bracers that offer better protection.

Character bio

Name: Indra Kaneshiro

Age: Born May 27th, 1998 (currently 17)

Rank: Master Assassin

Personality: Born into the brotherhood, and an assassin by choice. Indra is reserved and calculating, as well as kind hearted. He has a rather dry sense of humor, and hardly ever socializes very much.

Weapons:

Hidden blades: New fashioned hidden blades made of stronger steel alloy. The left has been modified with a phantom blade attachment.

Katana: A standard, and beautiful katana.

Kodachi: A standard kodachi, sharp and elegant.

Heckler and Koch HK45 SD: HK45 modified with a suppressor for stealth.

Equipment:

Assassin notebook: Used by Indra to express inner thoughts and store vital information.

Assassin robes: New set of traditional robes, consisting of a modified kimono and hakama pants.

* * *

The first chapter for this story is done. Please review! Tell me if you like it or not. I will update as soon as I can.


	2. Chapter 2

I am back with the second installment. I hope the last chapter was enjoyable. I have not made any major changes with pairs, only a few. I have decided I will involve some other characters from other shows to pair up with the assassins.

Now, I'm done with the intro. Let us continue

* * *

Issei sat down on the cushions on the floor and gave out a content sigh, as he sat by the cozy fireplace. Work had been rather slow, but he wasn't complaining. Assassins were trained to be patient.

Since work was finished for today, Issei felt like taking a stroll, but first, he would wait for Indra. No doubt the white haired assassin was finished already and on his way back.

"Ah, there you are." Issei commented upon hearing the hideout entrance being opened.

Indra said nothing as he walked past Issei and went to a sink to clean his hands. Not every women in strip club kept themselves clean. The kill was a success and he went unnoticed. After cleaning himself, he turned back to Issei.

"Something wrong?" He said.

Issei shook his head. "No, all is fine with me. But, I wanted to know if you would accompany me around the city for a little while." Indra considered, since there wasn't much to do in a place like this.

"Alright." He agreed. Issei smiled and led his friend outside and around the parts of the city he liked.

"A wonderful place to call home, no?" Issei took in the scenery around. They were in one of the more quiet parts of the city, the residential district to be exact.

"It is." Indra agreed. While it was no Kyoto, Kuoh was certainly a place to admire. The two kept their casual pace, coming upon a park. They could see children playing and families enjoying time together.

"And there is the fruit of labor." Issei said, almost in a dazed way.

Indra knew that Issei was much more passionate about his work, more so than the others. If he was honest with himself, he actually felt like having teach him that sort of feeling, since Indra grew up with no family.

"It is a wonderful scene." He commented.

Issei gazed back at his old friend. "It makes me wonder about the Templars. If they wish for peace, why do they try to take this away?" Issei gestured towards the warm scene playing out in front of them.

"I don't know. But that is why we are here, to preserve the free will of the people." Indra replied. Issei took that answer, satisfied and they continued to move on.

"Tomorrow is Friday, right?" Issei asked out of the blue. Indra nodded not sure why his friend asked.

"Good. That means it will be a quiet workday tomorrow." Indra have Issei a dry look. When the two were not out saving the world, they worked at a humble bakery.

Indra continued to give Issei his dry look, because no matter what day it was, it was always quiet. Why he complained about a few high school students having a group talk was beyond him.

"I thought you were patient?" Indra asked.

"I am, but honestly, they don't need to cause such a ruckus." Issei rolled his eyes. A group of boys just happened to come into the shop one day, and they made quite a scene.

"You mean those boys?" Indra asked again.

"The ones who kept on claiming they would spread perversion everywhere." Issei said with irritation rolling out of his voice.

Okay, not that was reason he could follow.

As the two walked, Indra suddenly stopped. Issei looked at his partner with the concern that something must be wrong. Indra let his gaze travel to the tree they would pass under, and his eagle vision went active.

In the tree, he spotted the being hiding within the mess of evergreen leaves. He knew who it was instantly. Rolling his eyes, but smiling regardless, he called out to her.

"Fei, come down." The person in the tree-Fei-gave out a sigh and climbed down from her spot. She was now visible as a very beautiful girl, around his age.

She had the perfect cream colored skin and amber eyes that could cut right into your soul. She had heterochromic black and purple hair that reached her waist like a silky waterfall. She wore a black and purple outfit consisting of a short sleeved purple V-neck, a black miniskirt, and purple stockings complimented by black heeled boots.

All in all, she was a beauty that would make most regular men lose their senses at the sight of her.

Issei smiled upon seeing the girl. Fei was a Cheshire Cat youkai, very close with the nekomata species.

"It's good to see you again Fei. How long has it been?" He asked, giving her a brief hug.

"About 5 months." She replied. She smiled brightly at Indra before the two embraced each other. Issei already what was going on between the two. It was more than just a friend relationship.

Issei was how the two were looking at each other, and decide to give them some time. "I'll leave you two at it. I'll be around Indra. Find me when you two are finished."

* * *

While Issei moved away to give his old friend some alone time with his girlfriend, he could feel the gaze of curious eyes on him. To whom they belonged to, he had no idea since Indra was one of the few people he knew in this area.

To humor himself, he moved into the crowd of people walking among the streets, and like a needle in a haystack, he was gone.

"What?" Tsubaki blinked making sure her eyes weren't fooling her. She could have sworn she had seen him move into the crowd. He should have been easy to distinguish, but he just went up and vanished just like a grain of sand being carried by a powerful ocean current.

Tsubaki tried to sense for him using her magic sensory, but nothing came up. She sighed, seeing as the person of interest was no longer here. She would just have to tell Sona she had lost track of him.

She got up and left her spot from the cafe she was watching him from, not once noticing the figure on the roof nearby, watching her leave.

As Issei watched the Vice President of the student council leave, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Who would have thought this area was occupied by devils?" He mused to himself.

He noticed the sun was setting, and since he wanted to enjoy tomorrow, he deciding to go home and get to bed.

Upon entering the hideout, Issei found that Fei had decided to join, for sis was sitting right next to a sleeping Indra.

"You can stay here if you wish." Issei offered. Fei smiled. "Thanks, I was getting tired of having to constantly relocate."

Issei gave her a pat on the shoulder. "This will always be your home, if you wish it to be. Now I need to sleep. School won't wait for me if I end up sleeping in."

The following morning, school went along just like the other day, without a hitch.

Indra had the shift today at the shop, so that left Issei with some time to himself. He decided to go through the park once more, to have some peace before looking for the next Templar.

As Issei made his mental plan, he bumped into someone, female, if they sound of their shout was any indication.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss. I wasn't-" Issei stopped when his caught the frame of yet another familiar face.

"Asia? Asia Argento?" He asked.

The blond nun blinked. "Do I know you sir?" She asked.

Issei smiled. "You don't remember me? It's me, Issei Hyoudou. We worked together in the Vatican, feeding the poor families." He tried reminding her.

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, as she gazed up at the brunette's face.

"Oh! Issei!" She quickly got up and hugged him for all he was worth. Issei returned the hug and when they separated, he chuckled at the flustered look on the nun's face.

"It's been years!" She shouted.

Issei nodded. "Indeed it has. What brings you to Japan? I thought you were working for the Catholic Church in Florence after I left."

That was where he saw her expression become downcast, almost to the brink of tears. He quickly took her hands into his and gave her a soft look.

"Asia, what happened?" He asked. The nun stayed quiet for a minute before spilling her dilemma. "I was banished from the church, after they saw me heal a devil."

"Oh, I'm sorry Asia. I know you loved nothing more than helping others. Those fools condemn what they don't understand. You did nothing wrong." Issei comforted her.

Asia felt better at her old friend, and long time crush's kind words.

"Say, why don't we take this time to catch up with one another? Indra is a bit busy right now, so we have plenty of time to ourselves." He suggested. Asia blushed at the idea of being alone with the assassin, and nodded gratefully.

* * *

"Here Asia, you eat a hamburger just like this. Take it in your hands and take a bite of it." He showed her how to eat the fast food creation in front of her, as she eyed it with curiosity. Being sheltered in the church for much of her life, she had never seen or even heard of a hamburger before, but she certainly liked it now.

"Wow! It's so good!" She exclaimed before taking another bite. Issei smiled as he watched the adorable blond. That childlike curiosity and naivety hadn't left her, not yet anyway. Once she learned the truth about him, well, he wasn't sure what she would do, but he would not hold anything against her.

After leaving the burger joint, Issei showed Asia around the city, his city. Issei had been raised while traveling for most of his life, but he was proud to call Kuoh his home.

The two were strolling through the park and while they strolled, Asia came across a young boy, weeping along the sidewalk. The boy had scraped his knee badly and could not help himself for crying so loudly.

"Had bad does it hurt? I can help you." She kneeled down by him, and he showed her his knee which was close to becoming a patch of red.

Issei watched wide eyed as he was able to see some sort of green aura emit from her hands and onto the boy's wound.

'Could it be? Is she a magician of some kind?' He thought. Issei has encountered magicians before, but he never once thought Asia would be one. Or maybe something else was going on.

Asia stood up, finished with her work, and the little boy stood up, happy as can be, no longer with pain eating at him.

"Thank you big sister!" He said as he ran off to his mother.

Issei took this time to ask the question, now begging to be answered in his mind.

"Asia, what was that? Was that magic?" He saw her face take an expression of complete sadness, and now he knew that her power was a touchy subject.

"It is alright if you don't wish to share. I will not pry you for information." He said.

Asia shook her head and looked back at Issei with a smile, despite how painful it was to think about it. "No, it wasn't magic. That was my sacred gear, Twilight Healing. It gives me the power to heal any wound." Issei stood amazed as he now saw his old friend with a new respect. The power to heal wounds, now that suited her just right.

"However, one day, the church staff saw me helping a devil. My powers can heal both holy beings and devils, and when they saw it happen they called me a witch, and cast me out." She said with tears building in her eyes.

Issei gave her a comforting hug and held her. He separated from her and gave her a charming smile. "Asia, like I said before. You were only doing what you felt was right. That is not a crime."

Asia would have continued, but she caught sight of a women she was familiar with. The women had creamy skin and long raven hair reaching her waist, kind purple eyes, and her outfit was very...revealing to say the least.

"Asia!" She ran towards and took her hand. "We need to get back, Dohnaseek is getting suspicious." She said urgently, with Issei picking up on it.

Asia turned to Issei and gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Issei, but I need to go back to the church now. Hopefully I'll see you again soon." The women she was with gave Issei a look. She curiously gazed upon brunette whom Asia had been on a date with.

'She found herself a love already.' She mentally sighed, wishing she would find her love as well. They were out there somewhere.

Sighing again, she introduced herself. "My name is Raynare, nice to meet you Issei. But we are short on time right now." She left with Asia before he could respond.

But that was okay, he could just follow them and learn of what's going on. But first, he needed his partner, and his equipment.

* * *

The two assassins found the church. It looked quite vacant and slightly unstable, if the cracks in the wood were not an indication.

"Quite charming." Issei commented on the place's appearance. He was looking around with eagle vision, making sure no hostiles were about the area.

He pushed opened the church doors to see that the interior was clean, as if were never touched. How odd. Issei looked around, until his eyes caught a familiar blue glow.

At the end of the alter, the microphone on the mantle was highlighted with blue. Issei grabbed it and gave it a pull. He let eagle vision wear off, as he and Indra saw a staircase unwind from the floor beneath them.

"Quite an unorthodox church huh?" Issei commented. Indra nodded in agreement.

They descend down the shadowed steps, and as they went lower, they could hear faint chanting.

"We must be close. Be alert." Issei warned. Indra nodded.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and saw a man in traditional exorcist robes guarding the way.

Indra got behind the man and kicked one of his legs out from under him, before puncturing his neck with his hidden blade. The man didn't have a chance to cry out, all there was, was a wet cough.

"Show off." Issei whispered, trying to see what was happening.

Luckily the were rafters along the edges of the walls, close to the ceiling. The gaps and cracks in the walls allowed them to scale up and hide above.

"Finally, Twilight Healing will be mine." A man-no, a fallen angel said, standing in front of a cross. On that cross, was Asia, chained and bound. Issei narrowed his eyes, now understanding what was happening. This man wanted her power for himself.

He quickly surveyed the room and saw three other fallen angels chained to the wall adjacent to the platform in which Asia was to be crucified.

He turned to Indra and whispered his plan. "I'm going for the one on the platform. You take the guards by the prisoners, and then we will both engage the enemy."

Indra nodded and maneuvered his way to the other side of the room, while Issei made straight for the platform.

"We're almost there." Dohnaseek grew a large smile at the prospect of power falling into his hands.

Down at the floor, a couple of exorcists we're speaking amongst one another, until one of them felt something touch his back.

"What? Is there something on me?" He turned around, showing his comrades that there was some kind of brown shell looking object there.

*Boom!*

The group was killed in an explosion of shrapnel, taking a few others nearby with them.

"What happened?!" Dohnaseek turned his head to the commotion.

"We don't know!" One of the exorcists replied. There wasn't a trace of anyone else here.

The guards at the side where Kalawarner, Raynare, and Mittelt were being held did not report. In fact, the girls were gone too.

Underneath the platform Indra laid the girls down under the staircase so that they could rest. He held up a finger for them to be quiet, while he proceeded with Issei's plan.

'Who are these guys?' Was the collective thought of the three.

"Hey! Who are you?!" They heard a shout. Then there were sounds of blades clashing together, blood and bodies hitting the floor, cries of pain.

What was going on?

Mittelt with only enough strength, peeked out from behind the stairs and saw the whole room littered with the corpses of all of the exorcists.

Up on the platform, Issei held the dying Dohnaseek in his arms. For someone who could fly, he was taken off guard by an aerial kill quite easily. Ironic in a way.

"I just wanted respect." Dohnaseek said to his killer.

Issei gave him a solemn look, shaking his head. "Respect is earned, my friend. It cannot be inherited, or gained from gross misdeeds."

Dohnaseek lost his vision, but smiled anyway. He was finally going home.

"Perhaps you're right." He said, and let out his last breath. Issei closed his eyes and gave him a short prayer.

"May you be equal in death." He said before helping the now weak Asia off of the cross. She was unconscious, that was good. She would need her rest.

He found a wooden cart, like those ones you would see horses hauling around in much more older times. They loaded the girls into the cart and luckily knew a path back to their hideout where no one would see them.

"Who are you?" Raynare asked. Issei smiled.

"Friends. Just let your bodies rest, we will take care of you." He said.

Raynare felt herself smile before letting her eyes close, and fell into deep sleep.

* * *

Rias and her peerage were investigating the fallen angel activity in the area. The church they were hiding was in sight, and she was ready to get rid of the threat.

"Be ready." She said, leading them down the opened set of stairs.

What she saw was a big surprise.

The whole room was littered with bodies of what she guessed were exorcists, rogue most likely. At the platform above, laid a dead fallen angel.

Kiba crouched by him and immediately noticed how he was killed.

"Someone was here before us, and they certainly know how to make a clean kill. I think we might have another threat to deal with." He said, making Rias frown.

The worst was that this threat was unknown. So she wouldn't know when she saw the culprit or not. It could be anyone.

"Hm." She heard Akeno hum in interest. She walked over to her Queen to see her holding a single feather. It was a beautiful brown, just like an eagle's.

"This doesn't belong to an angel of any kind that I know of." She said, twirling it between her fingers.

"Whoever killed this fallen angel must be very skilled. We might need help." Kiba suggested.

Rias nodded. "We can speak with Sona about this. Now let's head back."

The group nodded and left, but Akeno kept the feather in her hand. For some reason, she felt like keeping it.

* * *

There it is, chapter two. Please review!

I will try to keep updates at a decent pace, but don't get too expectant.


	3. Chapter 3

Back again with installment number three. I see that my story is making good progress so far, despite how short it is, but I am happy nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I think you guys know I don't own Assassin's Creed and Highschool DxD already... Not sure why I bothered with this.

Let's just get going.

* * *

Issei and Indra had their guests resting in the main room, close to the table so that their wounds could be treated, should they do something to open them up.

Issei smiled as he laid Asia to rest. Bless the girl's poor heart, she didn't deserve to be brought into all of this conflict. That's why Issei intended to get her involved with the academy, so that she may integrate into a society that would accept her.

"So much has happened in our short time here." He said, taking off his robes and setting them on a stand.

Indra was already laying in his favorite in the corner by the fire in the armor room. Issei then got down on his spot with the cushions on the floor, and against the wall, and let his eyes close.

Morning came, gently waking Issei from his pleasant slumber. He stood up stretched out, releasing some tension that had Form the position he had been sleeping in. His lean body gave out multiple satisfying popping sounds, which was a very nice feeling for early risers.

"Time to get ready." He went to the armor room to wake his friend, only to find him in his uniform already.

"How long have you been up?" Issei asked. Indra gave him a side glance before turning his gaze back to the gentle flame that slowly consumed the wood trapped in it's threshold.

"About 2 hours." He replied.

Issei was about to say something, but Indra interrupted him. "School doesn't start for another 30 minutes, I didn't want to disturb you." He said.

Issei smiled at how his friend was being considerate of him. But, as much as Indra needed to be ready, Issei needed to be as well. Master assassins they may be, but it was mindful to remember that they were very short on manpower.

With no need to voice his thoughts, Issei went back to dress himself, and to check on their new guests. With his uniform on, and his blades concealed, he went to check on the fallen angels. From observation, their wounds weren't too serious, but they were still enough to keep you out of the field for a few days. They were healing at a nice rate though, the medicine was doing it's job.

"Cone on Indra, we have 20 minutes left, and I want to get to the breakfast line first!" He said, going off at a jogging speed.

The two arrived, with just enough time to spare before class started. They took their seats, and got out their materials, ready to work.

"Good morning Issei!" Issei turned his head to find Katase coming to his desk. He smiled back and returned her greeting. "Good morning Katase. Are you ready to get this day over with?"

The pinkette nodded. While she liked school, she really liked doing her activities much more. "Yeah, the kendo club is going to a tournament today, and I'm really excited." She said. Issei nodded in approval, this girl was determined, and she was passionate. Two good traits to have.

"I hope to see you and your team coming back with a nice trophy." He told her, getting her to blush. "Y-Yeah, we're gonna win, I promise!" She said. Issei smiled and gave her a pat on her head.

"I have no doubt you will." He said.

This moment was brought to an end when the teacher came in, apologizing for being late, and getting the class going.

"I'm sorry! I slept in, and then I was caught in traffic! Okay, let's continue from where we left off yesterday." She said, getting everyone engaged.

* * *

"Ms. Kirisaki should take a day off, she seems to be very stressed lately." Issei commented as he and Indra ate their lunch. They were on the roof, due to how quiet it was, and it also allowed them to relax.

"I agree." Indra said, taking a riceball into his mouth.

The two sat in a comforting silence for a few minutes, until Issei spoke again. "Were there any requests for our service at the coops?" He asked. Indra shook his head negatively.

"Nothing. The enemy has gone quiet for now." He said, and Issei couldn't bring himself to reply to that.

So far, after the 3 years in which his grandfather died, Issei, Indra, and the few other Japanese assassins have been the ones holding the templars at bay. Luckily, no one knew of their existence due to how few they were, but that could also be their downfall if they weren't careful.

The sound of the bell for the final class brought them out of their thoughtful silence.

"So, you have plans for this weekend?" Issei asked.

Indra shook his head. "None that I can think of."

"How about a visit to the mall?" Issei suggested. Indra thought it over quite briefly, and nodded.

"Mall it is." Issei said as the two went to their final class for the day.

* * *

"So many attractions." Indra idly commented as he and Issei wandered the labyrinth that is the mall.

"Agreeable, but it's the people here that make it like this." Issei replied.

"True."

"Here, let's stop for lunch." Issei caught sight of a cafe and beckoned Indra along with him.

"Welcome master!" A group of girls dressed as maids greeted them. They stopped at a maid cafe. Indra gave Issei a look, his expression was sending him the 'You knew about this' look.

"What can I say? Grandpa used bring me here from time-to-time." He replied.

"Right this way master!" One of the maids led them to a booth and gave them menus for their orders. Her hair was brown and tied into a spiky ponytail. Her bangs were parted mostly to the left, exposing only one blue eye.

"I will be serving you today, my name is Levi. Just call for me when you are ready." She left to the kitchen while Issei and Indra browsed their selections. They searched through for about 5 minutes and called for Levi.

"So, what can I get for you?" She had a notepad and pen already in hand.

"I'll have the tempura with a side of dipping noodles." Issei said, with Levi writing that down and turning her eye towards Indra. "I'll have the fried rice with beef." He said. After a few quick twitches of her fingers, she had the orders down and took them off to the kitchen. "Wait for just a few moments." She said, leaving the boys to themselves.

"She's nice." Indra commented. That made Issei smirk. "Oh, so you've found another interest, hm?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Indra rolled his eyes.

Another 10 minutes passed silently, until Levi came back with their dishes and served them. "Fried rice with beef, and tempura with a side of dipping noodles to order." She said placing the plates down with the utmost grace and care. "Alright, enjoy and if you need anything just call."

The two did indeed enjoy their meal, and when they finished they left the money owed, with Indra leaving extra as a tip for the service.

"Come back soon!" The maids at the front said as they left. When they were out of the building, Issei nudged Indra with his elbow, smiling. "Admit it Indra, you like that girl." He said. Indra didn't bother gracing him with a reply.

* * *

"There's nothing strange at all President." Momo said as she watched the boys leave the cafe.

"There has to be something." Sona said from the other side of the phone.

"Keep watching. I know that I am wasting your time, so I will make sure this is worth while for you." Sona said, with Momo nodding.

With Indra and Issei the two were now walking out of the mall and back into the open world.

"We have a follower." Issei commented. He wasn't sure how long the person had been tailing them, but he found it amusing that they believe they would be able to fool his senses. Once Issei caught your scent, there was no escaping.

"Want to ditch them?" Issei asked. Indra nodded. So the two waited at the intersection as the cars zoomed by, and when the light turned red and the people began moving about the streets, they had become one with the people.

Momo now understood when Tsubaki said, 'They just disappeared' because that is exactly what happened. Even when the crowd thinned out and dispersed, not one of them were in sight.

Sighing, Momo decided to call Sona as she made her return to her King.

"Maybe your just a bit stressed?" Rias said as she sat across from her rival, both engaged in the game of chess.

"No I'm not Rias. Something is off about those two, I know there is." Sona insisted.

"Well how about I give it a try with my peerage then?" Rias suggested.

"Momo and Tsubaki say, that they just keep disappearing without a trace. How will you prevent that?" Sona asked.

Rias rubbed her chin, moving her Rook and taking of one Sona's Knights.

"Why don't I just approach them directly?" She suggested. Rias was much more forward with her strategies than her rival. She was also very persistent when she wanted to be.

"I suppose that may work, but don't make it to obvious. You'll end up driving them away." However Sona already felt that the redhead was going to just that anyway.

"Checkmate." Rias frowned as she checked the board and saw how Sona had taken her King. She sighed. "Next time." Was all she said while leaving the room.

Sona put the board away and looked at the two documents on her desk. Each held a picture of the boys Issei Hyoudou, and Indra Kaneshiro. She narrowed her eyes, as if the pictures were mocking her. "Just what are you hiding?"

Issei looked back towards the school, making Indra stop to look at him curiously. "Something wrong?" Issei blinked before swiveling back around and continuing forward. "I got a strange feeling just now. Perhaps things will get interesting here." He said while chuckling.

They headed back for the hideout to check on their guests again. It would be rude to just leave them in their condition without knowledge of how to take care of themselves.

They entered their secluded home and saw their fallen angel guests sitting at the table, playing a game of cards.

"I see you three are feeling better." Issei said, making his presence known. The girls jumped a little but relaxed at the sight of the two assassins.

"Yeah, we feel a little better, but the pain still makes our bodies ache." Raynare said wincing slightly when she stood up.

Indra looped his arm under hers and helped her over to the medical table and proceeded to get her to drink from a bottle, the one most likely used on them—the girls presumed.

"By the way, we never got your names." Issei said as he helped Mittelt to her feet.

"My name's Raynare." Said the violet eyed women from the medical table.

"I'm Kalawarner." The blue haired women said.

"And I'm Mittelt!" The blond in Issei's arms exclaimed, making him chuckle at her childishness. Speaking of childlike behavior, he needed to check on Asia.

"Here, let Indra tend to you. I need to check on Asia."

* * *

"Mmmm, where am I?" Asia woke up from her rather long nap, looking around curiously. She saw what appeared to be rocky walls—an underground lair of some kind.

"Are you feeling better?" She heard Issei's voice, and quickly looked to her side to see her old friend friend smiling softly at her.

"Yes. I feel better, but where are we?" She asked. She saw Issei chuckle.

"Right now, you're in our hideout." He answered. Asia looked confused, prompting the brunette to further break down his explanation. "Indra stays here with me as well, so it is our hideout." He said.

"Oh, I see. Can you... turn around please. I need to heal myself, but... well you know." Issei nodded in understanding and turned away from her.

"Come join us in the main room when you feel ready." He said, leaving the former nun to herself.

Indra was finished administering the girls with their medicine, and had them sitting on the floor for the moment.

"Well, you were kind enough to introduce yourselves. Now we will do the same. My name is Issei Hyoudou." Issei pointed to Indra. "And this is Indra Kaneshiro, an old friend of mine."

"Why did you rescue us?" Raynare asked.

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You had nothing to do with what happened in the church. You were innocent, and we won't stand by while innocent people are in danger." Indra nodded in agreement.

"But-"

"Shhh!" Issei put a finger to his mouth, and Raynare stopped talking. "You were innocent. No arguing, understand?" He asked with a soft tone. Raynare sighed, but then looked back up at the two with a smile. "You two are something else." She giggled.

"One of a kind for sure." Issei replied with smirk. He then saw Asia dressed in the clothes he left her. She now wore a dark green yukata with a cream colored obi tied around it, and a gray hakama skirt.

"It's nice of you to join us." Issei commented, liking how she looked in the garments.

Asia blushed, noticing how Issei was looking at her. She saw Raynare sitting on the floor and went over to give her a hug. While the two embraced Indra brought out a tray with cups of tea from the small kitchen area they had in the spare room.

"Thank you Indra." Issei took a sip of tea before placing the cup on the table, and faced the girls. "Now, to why we brought you here, it should be quite easy to know. But that isn't the topic we wished to discuss with you." He said, getting curious looks.

Issei got himself comfortable since the girls were going to be permanent residents here anyway. "It all started when..."

* * *

Done, I hope this one was satisfactory. Please review.

A little late I suppose, but that's life for ya. Any who, I don't plan to expose our assassins until at least one or two more chapters pass. Speaking of chapters, a new assassin is going to appear in the next one, so be ready for that!

Now I'm done with news and announcements, I'll see you next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Here we are, chapter four.

The pairs will be updated after the chapter is over.

Enjoy.

* * *

Issei has explained the long story about the conflict between the assassins and the templars. The girls were all shocked that such a conflict was kept hidden for so long, even to this day. They were speechless as Issei sat on the floor in front of them.

Issei had already expected their reactions, and smiled cheekily as he ate a piece of cake. Levi had been kind enough to give the boys some desert before they left.

"I...don't know what to say." Raynare finally broke the silence.

"Yeah...knowing a war has going on even before the factions even began to conflict with each other is very shocking." Kalawarner added.

Issei swallowed before tracing the navy blue haired women with a reply. "I know, but believe me. Despite the violence, I actually enjoy this life." He said.

"You enjoy killing?" Mittelt asked, making Issei frown. He turned to her before replying to her inquiry.

"No. While I am skilled in the art of killing, it doesn't mean I enjoy it. There are morals. If one was to enjoy taking life away, then they wouldn't be considered human anymore. We are not mindless murderers."

The girls were all quiet.

"Well...I don't care." Issei was surprised to hear that from Asia, of all people.

"It doesn't matter how many people you've killed. I know you're a good person Issei." She said with smile, hoping to lighten up the mood. It worked, since Issei smiled and brought her in for a hug, effectively turning the former nun into a blushing mess.

"That's why I can always feel happy with You Asia." He said. Now steam started bursting out from the poor blond's ears.

Raynare and Kalawarner immediately knew that the small girl had an attraction to the brunette assassin.

"Well, what will you do now?" Issei asked out of the blue.

"What?" Raynare asked.

"Your situation in the church did not go unnoticed. If you report back to the Grigori, I know for a fact you will be punished severely. You can't just go out in the open either since the devils will pursue you and likely exterminate you on sight." Issei said, making the fallen angels pale.

What were they going to do? They had nowhere to-

Wait.

"Can we stay here, please?" Raynare practically begged, with Kalawarner and Mittelt following her.

Issei chuckled.

"I never said you weren't allowed to. I just wanted to know what you would do." He said making them pout at him. That was just mean, making them believe he would cast them out.

"Okay, I've had my fun. Feel free to take a look around. I'm going out for a while." Issei made sure to put his vambraces on before he left, and bid the girls farewell for now.

* * *

Issei hummed lightly to himself as he passed through the streets.

"What a wonderful day." He said softly.

He looked around, seeing a few vendors out. He was in the main marketing district.

"Maybe I should make sushi for dinner tonight." He mused. No sooner when he thought that, he just happen to see a sushi stand. Well, it looked like one anyway, so decided to go for it.

He went up to the vendor and waited. "Oh hello, how are you?" It was girl running the stand.

She was a brunette much like himself with long hair reaching just past her shoulders, and golden brown colored eyes.

"I'm quite alright. What is this exactly that you're serving?" He asked.

The girl smiled a bit proudly. "They are a creation of my own. They're barbecue bacon wrapped jalapeños. A little recipe I made after me and my mom visited America one time." Issei's mouth watered a little, it sounded very good.

"They sound good. How much for a few?" He asked getting his wallet out.

The girl smiled. "That'll be 30 yen." Issei handed her the money and waited while she prepared the food. Issei didn't even have to sniff for the aroma, it was already sending his sense of smell wild.

After a few minutes, the girl put a plate down in front of him with—he counted, 6 jalapeños.

"Thank you." He said before bringing one up to his mouth. The moment he bit down, the flavor of the bacon with the barbecue soaked jalapeño sent his tastebuds into a flurry of excitement. It was settled, that the brunette would now crave this tantalizing dish for a long time to come.

As Issei enjoyed his meal, his eyes wandered about the environment, taking in the joy filled people. The citizens were so full of energy today.

It wasn't until something caught his eye—actually someone.

It was man wearing a coat, knee length and colored black. Issei narrowed his eyes when he saw the very familiar cross in the form of a button on his chest. Activating eagle vision, Issei was able to identify that the man was definitely a threat. But luckily the man was not aware of who or what Issei was since he seemed to be quite carefree.

"Hmm. What are you up to?" Issei got up from his seat and moved through the crowd, intent on keeping an eye on the suspicious man.

Issei followed the man like a shadow, nearly invisible. The tailing had been a short 10 minutes, with the assassin following his target to a strip club. In fact, if he recalled it was the very same one Indra had gone to, to kill the slaver trading off girls.

What now?

Issei watched the man walk up to one of the girls—just now leaving from her shift, he guessed.

The man grabbed the girl and dragged her into an alley, covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming out.

Issei ran to the entryway of the secluded alley and peaked around the corner. There, he could see the man forcefully disrobing the young maiden—her clothes ripping and tearing, and being discarded onto the filthy ground.

The assassin checked his blades and looked back up at the scene before him. He needed to act quick.

* * *

The mysterious figure on the roof tailed his target through the streets, completely hidden in his blind spots. As he followed the man, he noticed a very familiar face slipping through the crowd, like water in the cracks of a stone wall.

"Well, I'll be. I didn't think Issei was this busy already." The figure mused to himself.

Deciding to wait for bit, he watched the brunette hunt the target.

The figure frowned—seeing the scene playing out. 'That poor girl.' He thought. Not wanting to waste time anymore, he let his arm rest at his side—catching three curved shuriken between his fingers.

He raised his hand and gave the man a hard stare, despite him not being aware of his presence. He brought his arm back before slinging it forward and releasing the deadly projectiles from his hand.

Down below, Issei had his blades ready, but the sound of something piercing the air caught his well tuned hearing. He stopped to watch the man suddenly drop to the floor, releasing the girl from his hold.

Issei walked up to the man, seeing a couple of shuriken embedded in his back, right where the heart would be.

Issei ignored the corpse for now, and approached the girl.

"Who are you?" She asked. Issei took in the girl's features. She looked quite average. But nonetheless, she was innocent—average or not. He took off his shirt, showing he was wearing another one underneath. He gave the shirt to her and stood back up to look around.

As Issei investigated his surroundings, he missed the figure standing on the fire escape above him.

"Just walk right passed me." Issei's head whipped up to see a figure wearing a dark grey kimono with black hakama pants. On his forearms were leather vambraces, and he had a naginata sitting on his back.

Issei's eyes widened when the figure lowered his hood, revealing black hair and dark brown eyes. He smiled as the figure jumped down from his perch to greet him.

"Ichika Orimura." Issei gave his friend a bro hug with the raven haired boy returning it.

"I'm finally back." Ichika said, looking behind him. "Where's Indra, how's he?"

Issei chuckled, with Ichika following him out of the alley. "You've missed a few things man." Ichika raised an eyebrow.

"Anything interesting?" Ichika asked. Issei gave him a grin. "How about learning that this whole area is devil territory?" That made Ichika give Issei a perplexed look. "There are devils here? That can't be a coincidence." He replied, with Issei nodding.

"It's under the watch of Rias Gremory." He said, with Ichika now understanding.

"I see." The two became silent for a moment before Issei broke it.

"So how are Madoka and Chifuyu?" The brunette asked. Ichika chuckled, giving Issei a knowing look.

"They still haven't forgotten about Indra, I'm sure you can figure out the rest." He said with a small grin.

"Speaking of him—just wait till he sees you. He still hasn't forgiven you for that time you blew up his sweet stash." Issei said, making the black haired boy sweatdrop.

"It wasn't even that much of a stash at the time... It was only three boxes of nothing but snoballs." Ichika replied, but Issei chuckled at his expense. Almost forgetting, he went back to the corpse and searched it. He found a letter on him.

Ichika watched Issei before the brunette tossed the letter aside and walked beside him. "Find anything?" The raven haired boy asked.

Issei shook his head negatively. "Nothing useful."

* * *

Raynare giggled as she looked at the drawing of her. Indra had been doing sketches to pass the time, and seeing his creativity—requested a drawing of herself. The piece of artwork itself was very detailed, almost worth a place in a museum if she said so herself.

"This is amazing. Have you ever thought about doing a commission?" She asked. Indra adopted a questioning look. Not once, had he ever thought of selling his art.

He shook his head to answer her question, making her give him a grin. "You need a job right? From what I remember you work for free, but you'll need some money in case of emergencies." She reasoned. Indra nodded seeing where she was going with her idea. How come he never thought of that?

"I guess I can try." He said, making Raynare smile. "That's the spirit!"

Just as she said that, the door to the hideout opened, showing Issei along with another boy she didn't recognize.

"Hey Indra, you'll never guess who I found." Issei said, making the white haired boy get up and go see what he was talking about. There in the main room, Indra saw Ichika.

"Ichika. Good to see you again." He said. Ichika and Indra both hugged before a Ichika turned his attention to Raynare.

"Fallen angels too huh?" He asked rhetorically. Raynare looked to Issei who gave her a reassuring nod.

"My name is Raynare. It's nice to meet you." Ichika took her hand in his and kissed it, making her giggle before his own hand was slapped away by Indra.

Issei and Ichika shared a knowing look.

Raynare saw the look and blushed, already knowing what the two were thinking.

"So, apart from our guests we've been offering our service to citizens who need help. As of lately, we don't receive too many requests." Issei said, making Ichika nod.

"Nice hideout. Hanzo really went all out on it." He said while his eyes scanned the decor running along the walls.

"That's what I said." Issei chuckled.

Ichika smiled before turning and heading back up to the door. "Well, I need to go and get my sisters settled in. The three of us are starting at the academy tomorrow, and I still need to find a blacksmith to make some more shuriken for me."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Issei called out to him, with Ichika holding a thumbs up as he left.

Issei then turned to Asia as she came from her room.

"Asia, I want you to come with me to school tomorrow. I've prepared some papers to get you enrolled." He said, holding the up the necessary documents before storing them away for later.

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" The former nun exclaimed with a smile.

Issei returned it. "I'm glad to hear that."

Issei went into his own room to change into his night clothes. "Now, we have busy day tomorrow, so I'd the rest now before you end up sleeping through your first day."

The girls along with Indra went their separate ways to get ready for the next day.

* * *

Morning came like it usually did, bright and rather quiet.

Issei and Indra were already dressed in their uniforms, waiting for Asia to finish changing. When she came out of her room garbed in the correct attire, they walked to school with Raynare bidding them a good day.

They entered through the gates as usual, heading straight for the student council president's office. Issei knocked, getting a "Come in." in response and opened the door to show Sona working on a large stack of paperwork. Her gaze moved up from the paper and onto the ones who had been occupying her mind for the last few days.

"Yes, what do you need?" She asked.

Issei handed her the documents. "We need to get Asia here enrolled and started as soon we can." He supplied her answer.

Sona nodded, checking over the information. She was satisfied and stamped the papers before giving her a schedule. "This will have all of your classes." She said to the blond. She turned her eyes to Issei. "Would you mind escorting her to homeroom?" Issei shook his head. "She's a good friend of mine, she'd never burden me." He said, making the blond blush.

After leaving Sona's office, Issei showed her to homeroom. Luckily she had 4 of the same classes with him and Indra. Right as they were about to enter, Issei saw Ichika standing outside the door.

"Hey man, good morning." Issei greeted his old friend with a fist bump. Indra gave him a nod.

"Yeah, good morning. I'm waiting for Chifuyu and Madoka to finish their introduction. Then it's going to be me and Asia. That student council president sure works fast." Ichika said.

Issei smirked. "I can te just by looking at her. She's the by-the-book type." Ichika had a smirk of his own on his face, shaking his head with amusement.

"You can come in now!" They heard Ms Kirisaki call from inside the classroom. Asia started to fidget nervously. Issei put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright. I'll be right behind you."

Asia nodded and took a deep breath before exhaling and walking in with the three boys.

Ichika and Asia boy stood at the front of the class while Issei and Indra took their seats. Issei mouthed 'Go on' to the blond before she put on a smile—the best she could.

"Whenever you're ready." Ms. Kirisaki said.

"H-Hi, my name is Asia Argento. P-Please t-treat me well." She bowed.

The boys in the room started going wild over her, before Ms. Kirisaki put them into silence. "Please take the empty seat behin Issei, near the window." She said with a smile.

Ichika introduced himself and took a seat right beside Koneko.

"Now, please take out your journals and we'll continue with our notes from yesterday." Ms. Kirisaki was the best teacher in both Issei and Indra's opinions. She did her job well, despite being a rookie.

As Issei took his notes, he did not have to look to feel eyes on him. He didn't know who it was, nor did he care. He knew that his watcher would reveal themselves soon enough.

He sent a subtle sign to Indra to let him know what was going on.

* * *

Issei, Asia, Ichika, and Indra all sat under a tree near the end of the track field. School had just finished for the day and they were just enjoying their time in the nice shade as the sun harshly glared down on the Earth.

"Prince Charming, heading our way." Ichika commented, letting his hidden blades retract. He had been playing with them since he couldn't risk carrying his tanto out in the open, on school grounds no less.

The familiar blond pretty boy walked up to the group, a friendly expression donning his face.

"Hello friends, I'm sure you remember me, Kiba Yuuto. My club president has asked for you to pay her a visit." He said, hoping they would comply.

"Rias Gremory, right? The Occult Research Club President?" Ichika asked, already knowing the answer.

Kiba nodded affirmatively. "Yes. She'd like to talk with you, if you have nothing else to do that is." He said. Issei shared a look with his assassin brothers and smiled.

"Why not? How can I reject the request of a beautiful women?" He asked with a hint of snark in his voice. If Kiba detected the sarcasm, he didn't show that he did, nor did he comment on it. He simply motioned for the group to follow him.

They were lead to the old school building, where Rias held her club activities. They entered a room with a couch and Rias herself was sitting behind a desk, with an expectant look on her face.

When she saw Issei, she smiled and put her hands under chin. "Hello Issei Hyoudou, I'm Rias Gremory. Nice to finally meet you." She greeted.

Issei chuckled. "No need to tell me your name again Rias. After all you and Akeno are all the girls talk about around the school." He said, making the redhead blush with embarrassment. She shook it off as quickly as it had come and gave the brunette a smile.

"So Issei, I have a question for you." She said. Her tone was becoming suggestive, and Issei had a pretty good idea at what she was going to be getting at.

"I'm listening." He said, playing along.

"I'd like you to join the Occult Research Club." She said, puffing her chest out a little.

'Hit the nail right on the head.' He thought. He saw Indra and Ichika with small smirks on their faces.

"Is there a catch? I'm letting you know now that there have been other clubs before, even off school campus who have tried to recruit me. There's bound to be a price or something to join such a isolate club like yours." Issei replied.

Rias was caught a bit off guard by his reply. She knew that it draw some attention, being that she never really allowed anyone to join her club, despite how polite they were. She was assuming Issei found it to be quite odd to suddenly show interest just like that to a random person.

Boy, was she right. But it's not like that conclusion needed to be confirmed. Not yet anyway.

"Ah, are these are juniors?" They heard an alluring voice as the door opened. It was Akeno who entered the room holding a tray with cups of tea on it.

"Yes. I'm sure you know them already." Rias replied, taking a cup for herself.

"Thank you, Akeno." Issei said as the raven haired beauty handed him his own tea. The girl's large breasts bounced as she put her hand to her cheek and smiled.

"It's my pleasure." She replied.

"Now, what do you say?" Rias expected an answer.

Looked at Indra and Ichika—the three seeming to have a mental conversation before a decision was made.

"What are we expected to do as club members?" Issei asked.

Rias smiled, seeing she was making progress.

"We investigate the supernatural, and we also do favora for other people. Contracts you could say." She smiled.

* * *

There, I'm done for now. Sorry if it's a bit late. I've been very focused on school lately so I my writing progress was slowed a bit.

So, I've made an update for pairs, as I mentioned up at the top. You'll see that eventually, since I'm constantly making adjustments.

Now, onto our newest assassin!

Character bio

Name: Ichika Orimura

Age: 16

Rank: Assassin 4th rank

Personality: While not born into the order, Ichika became an assassin by choice in order to provide for his sisters. Ichika shows calm and caring traits towards almost anyone, and can also be a bit playful and snarky from time-to-time.

Weapons:

Hidden blades: New fashioned hidden blades made of stronger steel alloy. Left has been modified with a poison dart launcher.

Naginata: A beautiful and deadly naginata, with perfect long reach and defensive capability.

Tanto: A well crafted tanto, used for quicker and closer ranged combat.

Shuriken(max 20): Standard throwing shuriken for silent long ranged takedowns.

Equipment:

Assassin notebook: Used by Ichika to store away vital information and personal thoughts.

Assassin robes: New set of traditional robes, consisting of a modified kimono and hakama pants.

Well, I'm done now. Hope this was enjoyable, and I'll see you guys next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

The fifth installment of Restoration. Once more, I hope this will be enjoyable.

You should know I don't own Highschool DxD or Assassin's Creed already...

Let's continue.

* * *

The three assassins weighted out their options as the Gremory heiress waited quietly. The first, and most obvious choice was that if they did accept the offer, they would have the devils butting into their busniess. Second, if they didn't accept, it was chance that they would still get suspicious. Third, was to make a bargain, and hopefully give themselves some breathing room.

"I'll ask again. What are we expected to do here? Besides doing favors." Issei said. Rias smiled seeing that he was considering.

"Well, sometimes we go on trips, plan events like the student council, and we sometimes investigate signs of paranormal activity." She said. That last one was both a little bit of a lie and truth. They investigated any hostile presences, and stray devils, but to any outsiders, it was just another ghost hunt.

"I see." Issei looked to Ichika who shrugged. "We might need a little more time to consider. This is still a big decision to make." He said. Rias nodded in understanding, before bidding them farewell. For now anyway...

The three left the room and Rias waited with the smile still plastered on her face. When she was certain the three were gone, she looked to Akeno and nodded. "You know what to do." She said. Akeno smiled and left after making sure evryone had tea.

Outside, Ichika leaned against the tree and smirked. "You know they're bound to get curious, right?" Issei gave him a cunning smile. "Then let's put on a show." He waved his hand dramatically.

"We're tricking them." Indra stated more than he asked. Issei nodded and pat him on the head. "That is correct my friend."

The three assassins took a nice scenic walk back to their hideout. Issei was the first to notice their follower, and he smiled. "Let's go to that cliff we always played at." He said. Ichika got a smirk while raising an eyebrow.

"The one where we used to play treasure hunters?" He asked. Issei nodded. "That's the one. I have a surprise for our little audience" He replied.

They followed his lead, walking calmly along the road as they started to come up on the beach. Issei took a deep breath and exhaled. This reminded him of when he was younger and they would walk along this very same beach in the morning. Those were such fond memories.

"They've stopped." Ichika said, but kept up his unaware facade. It was going just how they needed it to be. "There's our spot." Issei said as the three walked. "You ready to go down memory lane?" He asked. They others didn't need to say anything to give a good answer.

* * *

Akeno sighed as she put her hand up to her cheek. She had waited until the boys were out of sight before continuing her pursuit. But then the strangest thing happened. When she followed them into the cave, she was expecting them to be there.

She remembered hearing one of them say "Treasure hunters". Maybe it was an old they had come up with? But now, as Sona had said before...

They simply disappeared.

A smirk started to pull at her lips. If that was how it was going to be, then alright. She would play this little game of cat and mouse.

"Ufufufufu. I think this just might be a challenge." She giggled before leaving. Had she stayed for just a few seconds she would have heard the sound of stone grinding on stone.

"Your plan worked, Issei. But they're onto us now. The devils are going to be much more persistent." Ichika said, brushing some dust from his uniform.

"I know. It's inevitable now, but we just need to delay as long as we can." The brunette replied.

It was fact, once you got involved in the world of the supernatural. It was nearly impossible to get back out. For one reason or another, someone was going to pursue you. Guess that was life's way of irony. The assassins hunt the templars, now the assassins are being chased by devils.

"Let's head back. There might be some work for us to do, and I don't trust leaving the girls ont heir own for too long." Issei lead his brothers out of their old hangout spot and headed back without drawing anymore attention.

"W-What are you doing?!" They heard Raynare shout as they entered. Indra sighed, knowing full well what was happening.

"Something we should be aware of?" Issei asked teasingly. Indra rolled his eyes. The white haired assassin went into the library and diffused whatever situation was going on.

Ichika went over to the desk, and found there were indeed some contracts available. "What are we working with?" Issei asked as he came over.

"There's a rogue priest named Shaden Weller. A corrupt official trying to call mortgage in the residential district. And we have a-" Ichika stopped at the last one.

"What is it?" Issei took the last contract and read it over. He saw why his raven haired friend paused. "This is right?" Issei narrowed his eyes on the label, there was no name for the target. But, it seemed to be a serious problem if the description wasn't saying it.

There was a person going around murdering women in the western side were of the city. Issei set the note down and rubbed his temples. "What is it with people today and their problems with women?" He asked rhetorically.

"What about women?" Issei turned around to see the girls were all now gathered in the central room, and had heard what he said.

"Someone who obviously doesn't seem to like girls is going around and killing them." He said. The girls looked disgusted while Asia looked fearful.

"Are you going after them?" She asked, but she was already guessing the answer.

Issei nodded. "I am." He looked at Indra and Ichika. "Ichika, you will be dealing with the corrupt official. Indra, you're taking the rogue priest." The three all nodded and gathered their equipment before setting out to do their work.

"Be safe!" They heard the collective call of the girls.

* * *

"I swear, it's always something with women." Issei muttered as he leapt across the roofs without so much as a sound. The note had said the target would be around in this district, but there was no specific way to identify him. This meant Issei would have to dig in and really do some work.

"First things first, I need a clue." Issei found a good spot to descend from his height and down onto the ground without drawing suspicion. He then set out and kept his eyes open for anything.

Wandering for what seemed like hours, Issei decided to see if the locals knew anything. He walked towards a brown haired man who was having a smoke, leaning agaisnt the wall of a building. A cliche sight he had seen in movies plenty of times.

"Sir, do you know anything about the murders that have been happening here recently?" The man raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young man in front of him. He looked like some sort of priest or a scholar.

"What's it to you? You trying to come bless us with your "Holy Spirit" stuff?" He asked, his voice was rather gruff. Issei rolled his eyes under his hood. "No. But if you could tell me something that would help out, that would be appreciated." He replied. The man sighed, blowing out a column of smoke as he did so.

"Well, after examining most of the victims, I noticed they were all workers at the Red Dress. Maybe whoever's doing it has something agaisnt them, not sure why they would though." He said, blowing out another column of smoke.

Issei took that piece of information in mind. He took a closer examination of the man before him, now noticing his lab coat and the stethoscope hanging around his neck. He was a doctor. "What's your name sir?" He asked, taking his fellow brunette by surprise. The doctor dropped what was left of his cigarette, and then shook Issei's hand. "My name is Toshio Ozaki. I work at a local clinic here in this district." He said.

"Perfect. If I come across anyone, I'll know who to look for." Ozaki chuckled at Issei's remark. "Sure, if you can, bring them by so I can treat them." Issei nodded and set off towards the Red Dress for more information.

As he did, Issei got the familiar feeling of being watched. 'Not now, dammit!' He thought as he walked up to the strip club. he entered through the front door and the inside was glowing with neon lights everywhere. Now, he needed to find the one in charge. If the girls working here were being killed, then the manager would know. He activated eagle vision and looked around, though he was having to glide through the crowd to see where he was going. His eyes landed on a women highlighted with gold. She was working in the bar section of the club.

He made his way over and took a seat by her before eagle vision went away. He was now looking at a woman with shoulder length brown hair and amethyst colored eyes. Her cream skin glowed and reflected with colors in the neon lights.

"How can I help you sweetie?" Her voice was mature and sultry. Issei wanted to smile, but he needed to know how he could get his target. "Would you happen to know anything about some dead girls?" He asked, low enough so only she could hear. He saw her expression change to one of grim, and knew he had found a source of information. "Come to the back with me." She said, giving her workers a stern look that said to not disturb them.

Issei was led to a back office where the manager sat down in a chair across from him and sighed, rubbing her temples. "So you want to know about my girls huh? Why?" She asked, bringing a bottle of wine out from a drawer she was sitting close to.

"Because I'm here to put a stop to these killings. It's drawn my attention, and I'm already picking up a trail." He said, making it clear he wasn't going to give up on his objective any time soon. The manager sighed before taking a sip of wine to straighten out her nerves.

"Well, where do I begin?" She muttered. "The killings started about a week or two ago, I believe." She said. Issei raised an eyebrow. "On my way here, I met a doctor. He thought that somebody had some kind of grudge or something against you. Could that be it?" He asked. The manager shook her head, unsure of the hypothesis herself.

"I don't really know." Was her reply. "Have you had any clients here who may have looked or behaved strangely? Anything at all that could aid in my search?" The brunette assassin asked.

The young woman put her hand under her chin and thought for a moment. "Well, I remember there was this one guy. He was a bit too touchy-feely, and the girls often complained about him." Issei started to mentally file that away. "Anything else?"

Issei saw the woman's expression become more grim. "Actually, now that I'm starting to recall, he was a bit of a troublemaker. He left here pissed off because one of the girls slapped him or something." She said. Issei smirked.

"Do you remember the girl who he was harassing? I might get some more information from her." He suggested.

"Yeah, he was messing with Hinata. I can get her really quick for you." She said, getting up. "Thank you." Issei called out as she left.

After waiting for approximately 6 or 7 minutes the manager came back with another girl. Her hair was pure chocolate brown, dropping down to her hips, and her eyes were blue like diamonds. She wore a skimpy outfit consisting of a violet colored corset and panties and stocking to match. He was in a strip club, so her attire wasn't surprising.

"Hinata, I presume?" He asked. She nodded. "I understand you were harassed a short while ago. Could you tell me anything about that client in particular?"

Hinata proceed to tell him about what happened and what she learned of the man who tried to touch her.

"He was about maybe of average looks and build... I remember that he looked a bit-mmm, I wouldn't use the word shy, but he was kind of like that. Then one day he came back and he just started trying to touch me, I slapped him and told the boss. He left angry, and that's it." She confessed.

'I see. If he's reclusive, he might be a bit difficult to find.' He thought. He turned his gaze back at the young dancer and thanked her and the manager for their time.

"Please come back if you find out anything!" He heard the manager call to him as he left.

* * *

Issei walked quietly, going over the information in his head. So the man obviously did not seem happy with the strip club, since he did not get his way, and he started to killing the girls to satisfy his anger. Simply put.

Issei activates eagle vision and looked around the street. He only saw the blank figures of the citizens and a few blue highlighted figures here and there. He was about to stop when he saw a white glow, a very small trace of one.

"Hmmm." Issei moved close to it and inspected the area around, he saw more glimmering white, but it it was in a messy trail. Issei deactivates eagle vision when he realized what he was looking at. It was a trail of blood, leading into an alley.

Narrowing his eyes, and putting himself on guard the brunette assassin treaded into the wolf's den. He came across a body of a girl. Her expression was one of terror, showing just how frightened she was in her last moments. Issei closed her eyes and put her hands over her chest. "Rest peacefully. I'll take it from here." He said.

Issei caught a rather peculiar smell as he examined the girl's body. "Poison, Tyvian stuff. Amateur work, and a few small cuts to add on." He could trace the scent of it, it was still lingering. Issei activated eagle vision once more and looked for anything that would give him more to work with.

"There it is." He was able to see it just barely. It was a near dissipated trail of red, indicating the poison had left a trail behind for him to follow. He was now much closer to stopping this killer.

Issei hit a slow jogging pace, the trail while still visible, was losing it's scent. That means the killer was close by or he may have disposed of poison. 'No, because poison has a strong scent on the person even if they dispose of it. So that means he has to be close.'

Issei stopped when the scent was now barely traceable. He took in his surroundings, eyes scanning around for anything. Observing the citizens around he could make out a few possible suspects. Specifically, one man in particular. Issei had entered the more lower class area, like a ghetto, during his trail chasing.

Issei calmly approached the man, who was sitting on a stained matress, and attempting to warm himself by a fire.

"Sir, may I take a moment of your time?" He asked. The man gave him a side glance, before respounding. "Sure." He said, his voice croaked slightly.

Issei smiled. "Would you happen to know about the Red Dress?" The young man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, what about it?" He replied. Normal people wouldn't notice it, but Issei did. The man twitched slightly.

"I'm investigating the recent killings that have been happening." Issei could see the man was starting to seem uncomfortable with this topic. Under his hood, sharp eyes bored into the man.

"I... I see." The slow reply didn't do him any good, it just made the assassin question him more.

"Sir, if you know something, anything at all, I'd appreciate it if you tell me. I need to see what I can do to stop this." Issei pressed.

The man gulped, Issei caught him. "Does the name Hinata ring any bells?" Issei asked. The man froze, his eyes met Issei's, or at least tried to.

They both stared at each other for what seemed like a long eternity.

"No!" The man brushed passed him and ran. Issei was hot on his tail. "Are you sure?! If you don't know, then why are you running?!" Issei called out to his target.

"I didn't do anything!" The man shouted over his shoulder.

"Only a guilty man runs with speed like that!" Issei replied.

Issei took his crossbow off his back and aimed for the man's leg. The bolt was launched and flew through the air, and impacted the calf.

The man held his leg in agony, and tried to pull the bolt out of his leg. He noticed Issei coming, and heard the familiar sound of a blade being taken out. He would have said something else, before Issei thrusted his palm into his chest, and felt a blade pierce his heart. He was dead in only a few seconds.

"Find peace in the afterlife." Issei closed his eyes and left the body.

* * *

"The killer is no more." Issei said as he sat at the bar with the manager. She gave him a beautiful smile, filled with relief. "Thank you so much sir." She said. Issei smiled back. "I was only doing my job." Was his response. The manager raised a delicate eyebrow and gave hima playful smile.

"And what is your job?" Her eyes were filled with genuine curiosity, and a hint of mischief. Issei returned the look.

"Keeping the world at ease." He said.

The manager gave him a soft look. "Sounds just like a dream job. To keep the world at peace." She said fondly.

The two sat in comfortable silence as the two brunettes listened to the soft music playing. "Say, what's your name? Mine is Venelana." She broke the silence after a minute.

"My name is Issei, Issei Hyoudou." Venelana looked the robed boy up an down, before a satisfied smile crawled across her face. 'Issei Hyoudou huh?'

Issei got up and was about to leave before he felt a small hand on his shoulder. "Here, take this." He heard Venelana say, before he felt her place a small slip of paper into his hand.

Issei gave her a nod and left. As he did, Issei looked at the slip in his hand.

'Call me' It had Venelana's signature along with her number. Issei smiled before placing the note in his pocket.

* * *

Well, how was that? Good? Bad?

Right, so here is a little bit of what I have to say at the moment. I haven't revealed all of what remains of the brotherhood yet. So far, you only know Issei, Indra, and Ichika. I have at most 2 to 3 three other characters instore, but I will reveal them when I feel that the time is appropriate. Yes, Issei and the guys will be found out eventually. I know some of you are wanting the assassins to get involved with supernatural, but I want them to stay in the shadows for just a little bit longer.

Now, with that having been said, please review, and enjoy the rest of your day.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm back with update number 6! Sorry, if I kept you guys waiting too long, but with school almost over the teachers are really piling up all these finals on us.

Anyway, let's push that aside for now and talk about the story for a second. I'm glad to know that there still people waiting, and eager to read my story. It's heart warming.

Now, let's continue.

* * *

Two assassins stood atop the statue of Christ the Reedemer, watching the waves crash against the sand, and the birds fly over their heads.

One of them was looking through the scope of a L118A1 sniper rifle, a gold eye blinking inside of it.

"I have the target in sight." He said in a low voice.

His brother next to him nodded. "Wait for the right moment. The wind is blowing harsh right now. You need to make this shot." He said, bringing a pair of binoculars to his hooded face.

"Hold on, there's a girl in the way." The one holding the rifle said.

"Easy Shoraku, just wait." The other assassin said.

The two watched patiently, waiting for that one moment to strike. They felt the breeze cease, and no sooner when it did, the line of sight was clear.

"Take it."

*Peeewwwwww!*

"He's down." The assassin tossed the binoculars to the side and smiled. "Nice shot as always Shoraku."

The golden eyed assassin smiled as he put his rifle on his back. "That's our last target, Hayato." He said.

"That's right. It's time to go home." Hayato replied.

They scaled their way down from the large statue and made their way through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The people here were lively as they went about their daily business.

The assassins were heading for the Favela, it made hiding out much easier. As they climbed up the set of buildings, they came up with a small, but home feeling hideaway.

There was a pigeon coup with only a single pigeon in it.

Hayato approached the bird cage and gently took the bird in his hand, taking the note from it. He unfolded the message and skimmed through its contents. His mouth set into a thin line.

"That's not good." He said, getting Shoraku's attention.

"What's wrong?" He asked, coming over. Hayato handed him the message, and when he read it, he crumbled it in his hand.

"Yes, that's definitely not good." He discarded the crumpled paper and sat down in a thoughtful manner.

"Shoraku, if the supernatural gets involved, this war will only become more difficult. If the apple falls into their hands, it's bound to restart the Great War." Hayato said. Shoraku gazed at him from the corner of his eyes.

"You think I don't know that Hayato? Issei, Ichika, and Indra are the only ones in Japan right now. They may be masters, but the templars will take any chance they can to crush us." Shoraku said.

"Our war may nearly be over, but if the supernatural gets in our business they'll hinder us from keeping the world safe." Hayato replied, with Shoraku nodding in agreement.

"We're in a tough spot." Shoraku sighed.

"What do we do?" Shoraku remained silent befor he opened his eyes and stood up abruptly.

"We leave for Japan, first plane out of here." He said. Hayato nodded and they both packed their things.

* * *

Indra blinked as Asia healed the cut on his side. While out on his assignment Indra had successfully taken out his target, but one of his lackeys—in a last ditch—got a lucky hit on the white haired assassin before he broke his neck.

"There, all finished." Indra got up off the medical table and gave the former nun a thankful nod.

"That power of yours never ceases to amaze, Asia." Issei said, patting the blond on her head, making her blush.

"Th-Thank you Issei." She peeped.

The brunette smiled before turning to Indra. "You good?" Indra nodded.

"Do we have any reply from the others?" He asked.

That was the moment Ichika walked in the room. His hands were empty, but he had a calm smile on his face.

"I've sent messages via pigeon to Brazil, Spain, and Austria." He said. Issei gave him a grateful nod and sat down at the table.

"Thank goodness. I hope they're alright." He said. Ichika and Indra both smiled.

"If I know any better, Shoraku is way too stubborn to die, and Hayato is sharp as ever. Komiharu is obviously capable of warding off unwanted company, and Yorukaze knows how to keep out of the light." Issei nodded in agreement with his friend. He was right, the others would be fine, all he needed to do was be confident in their talents.

"So apart from contacting the others, what else have you been doing?" Issei asked, starting to clean his hidden blades.

"Not much. We've gone through a lot of our contracts, and we've taken down two templar leaders in those tasks." Ichika replied.

"What about, you-know-who?" Issei asked, his eyes flicking up at him for a brief second.

Ichika shook his head. "Sorry Issei, but there hasn't been any sign of the templar leader." Ichika told him. Issei sighed as he retracted his now clean blades back into place.

"That's alright, Ichika. Unless we wish to dwindle our numbers any more, we'll just have to be patient until then." He said.

"I guess that's a wrap for the day then." Ichika replied.

"Well, let us get ready. School education is still important, despite our already busy lives." Issei said as he went to get ready for bed.

"I agree. I'll see you at school tomorrow." Ichika said as he left to go back to his home.

As Issei relaxed on his pillows, he felt an extra weight take up his left arm. He opened his eyes to see Asia, looking away with a faint blush on her cheeks.

He smiled. "Yes, Asia?"

The nun looked back up at the assassin, and breathed out deeply. "Can I sleep with you?" She asked, her foot kicked slightly at the floor.

Issei smiled and scooted over so there was some space on his pillows. Asia smiled happily and got down next to him. Issei put his arms around her protectively and settled. "Goodnight, Asia."

Asia was happily asleep already, and Issei followed shortly after.

Morning came as it usually did, and the trio of young assasissin were just walking past the school gates.

As they did, the kendo club managed to stop them.

"Issei, can we talk to you for a moment?" The club captain, Murayama came up to the trio and bowed.

Issei returned the gesture and gave Murayamya a charming smile. "What can I help you with, Murayama?" He asked.

The kendo captain was caught blushing, due to his smile, but she snapped out of her trance before she ended up staring.

"Right, well, the girls and I were wondering if you'd like to have a spar with us later. Would you like to?" She asked, meeting his gaze.

Issei looked at Ichika, then Indra. The both of them shrugged. They were alright with whatever choice he made.

"Do you mind if my friends here tag along?" He asked. Murayama shook her head, smiling.

"Not at all. The more, the merrier, as the saying goes." She replied.

"Then we'd be happy to come by. When would you like to meet?" He asked.

"After classes are over. Club activities will be from 3:00 to 5:00. Can you make it?" Issei nodded. "We sure can."

Murayama smiled happily and headed to class. "I'll see you later then!" She said, running ahead of them.

"A nice girl, that one." Ichika commented.

"Nice." Was Indra's input.

"She is, isn't she?" Issei said as the three continued to class.

* * *

Fei smiled as she watched the boys from her spot in the tree.

"It's only a matter of time." She mused to herself. Moving her eyes over the the old school building, she caught sight of Rias Gremory. The said devil was leaning out from the window, looking down at the three assassins.

Fei didn't like her, if that was not known well enough.

Simply put, as a creature with animalistic instincts, it should be known that Fei likes to have her freedom. Throwing in with the devils would only take that away, and she didn't like that.

Which is why she was questioning the presence of a nekomata in her peerage.

While Fei could not see it, she could tell her fellow cat could sense her presence. She smirked her famous Cheshire grin.

"Let the fun begin."

Below, in the old school building, Koneko was looking out of the window. Right where she could sense the familiar presence.

'Why is another youkai here?' She thought. The Rook was thinking of alerting Rias, but if it was only one, there may not be much of a problem. The question in her mind was still pressing for an answer though.

It would be best if she found one soon.

"Koneko, is something wrong?" She snapped out of her mental trance and looked up at Akeno, who came into the room.

"Nothing. Late?" Akeno nodded in response. But there was no worry, Rias would take care of it.

* * *

Indra shook his head, amused with Fei's antics. He saw Issei crack a smirk to his side as he finished the assignment.

"Up to her usual tricks." Issei asked rhetorically.

Indra said nothing as he nodded, finishing his own work.

"Oh, are you done already boys?" They looked up and saw their English teacher smiling.

"Yes, Ms. Yuuri." Issei replied. The teacher smiled as the two set their papers down on her desk and went back to their seats.

"Did I ever tell you that you're my favorite students?" She asked, tilting her head smiling.

She was about to say something else, until a large amount of blood spurted from her mouth, and she fell back onto the floor.

Issei sighed, but smiled as Indra picked up the teacher.

"I guess I'll see you at lunch?" Issei raised an eyebrow teasingly.

Indra rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless as his teacher slept in his arms.

A few girls blushed with jealousy, seeing the teacher getting such treatment from the seclusive boy.

"Meet me at our usual spot!" Issei called out as Indra rounded the corner.

Indra opened the door to the nurses office and set down Yuuri on one of the beds.

"Oh, hello again Indra." Indra turned around, only to get a faceful of _very_ large boobs. Aki Nijou, the school nurse had a close familiarity with the white haired teen.

They met on the second day of school when Indra was skipping lunch.

Aki was a young woman with long blue hair reaching the small of her back, and copper brown eyes. Her skin was a pasty white and she had a body most girls would kill to have.

She wore the traditional lab coat a doctor would wear. Underneath, she wore a purple, strapless top, which was laced down the middle, and that showed _a lot_ of cleavage. With that, she wore a short black skirt.

Indra took a step back so he could allow his respiratory system to function again, and greet the nurse properly. "Good to see you again, Aki."

The blunette nurse saw Yuuri on the bed and sighed, but quickly got to work. "She vomited blood again." She stated, more than she asked.

Indra nodded.

"Alright, I'll get started with the blood transfusion. She will be fine tomorrow."

* * *

"That wasn't long." Issei commented as Indra took a seat beside him. They sat at their usual spot on the roof, enjoying the view of the city, and with the wind playing with their hair.

"Where's Ichika?" Indra asked, taking a bite out of his sushi.

"He has a task to handle for a minute. Don't worry." Issei assured him, drinking from a water bottle.

There was a long, and comfortable silence before their trained hearing caught someone's footsteps.

"Hm, now who could this be?" Issei asked.

Indra shrugged.

"Hello." It was a girl's voice, one that was unfamiliar.

"That's not Fei." Indra said. Turning their heads slightly over their shoulders, the assassins found a girl with white hair.

'Hehe, it's like looking at a female Indra.' Issei thought. "Yes, is there something you need?" Issei asked, having a pretty good idea on why this girl was here.

"My name is Momo Hanakai, I'm with the student council." She said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Momo. As I'm sure you know, I'm Issei Hyoudou, and this is Indra Kaneshiro." He replied.

The white haired girl nodded.

"So, is there something you need from us?" Issei asked.

He looked at Indra from the corner of his eyes, with his friend receiving the signal with a nod.

"We noticed that you haven't joined a club yet. The President sent me to remind you that it's mandatory to participate in extracurricular activities." Momo said. Issei however picked up the message underneath.

The devils were starting to get wary of them, and as such, they were now trying to keep a close eye on them.

"Well, rest assured we'll make a decision soon enough." Issei replied.

Momo stared at them for a moment before nodding, and heading back down the stairs.

"When do we move?" Indra asked, staring off into the distance.

"Tonight." Issei said, cleaning up his leftovers. The two left the roof to find their third member and inform him of the situation.

* * *

"How do we want to approach this?" Ichika asked as he looked down below.

Issei looked down at the cluster of yakuza mercenaries below, assessing the environment. After a careful once-over, the brunette had a plan.

"Ichika, you sneak around on the side, and wait for my signal."

He turned to Indra.

"Indra, strike from above when I give you the go-ahead."

"And what will you do Issei? Or do I really have ask?" Ichika smirked, a smirk that Issei returned.

"Once the silence is broken, leave no survivors."

The three nodded and put the plan into action.

"Alright men, we just got word of another sighting!" The leader said over his large group of men.

'Sighting?' Issei thought as he waited for more information.

"Our employer says a rich girl is hiding at this school here." Issei's felt his hands clench when he saw that it was a picture of Kuoh Academy in his hands.

"We take her, and the family will surely hand over their provinces!" He said.

'Provinces? What provinces did the devils claim?'

"We will strike tomorrow! Be ready, we are one step closer to fortune!"

'It's not looking good here. Who hired these men? Why are they after devil claimed provinces?'

Issei could tell nothing else was going to be said, and right then, the group of mercenaries dispersed and went about to prepare. It was now the appropriate time to leave before he was noticed. Issei descended from his perch on the rooftop and disappeared into the night.

When Issei reached the hideout, he found Ichika and Indra already inside.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us." Ichika said, handing Issei a folded sheet of paper.

"That's their plan for tomorrow." Ichika said as Issei looked over what was a map of the whole city of Kuoh.

"They're going to occupy the school until they find the 'rich girl'." Issei commented. Drawing nods from both.

"Issei, you know what this means right?" Ichika asked.

Issei nodded. "It means we will have to expose ourselves and take action, or we let this play out. However, we can't guarantee that innocents won't be harmed in this act." The brunette replied.

There was a grim silence.

...

"What do we do?" Indra asked, breaking the silence.

Issei sat down on a bench and sighed. "I don't know. One part of me wants to act, and protect the people, and another part of me wants me to keep the brotherhood from being compromised." He said.

...

There was another pause, until Ichika broke the deafening silence.

"Issei, the choice is up to you. Whatever you choose to do, we'll follow you." He said, with Indra nodding in agreement. Ever since Hanzo died, Issei had taken charge, and he had yet to lead his friends astray, not that he was counting on that.

Issei considering his choices very carefully after hearing their input. He thought hard before he opened his eyes and gazed down at one of the few fireplaces. With his eyes now filled with hard resolve, he had made his decision.

"Rest. It will be a long day tomorrow." He said.

* * *

School was already in session, with the students going on with their schedule normally. There was however, one thing missing. Well, three actually.

Ichika Orimura, Indra Kaneshiro, and Issei Hyoudou.

Sona narrowed her eyes, suspicion clearly portrayed in them. When the attendance was taken, and she noticed all three were absent, it was her belief they were up to no good.

"I warned Rias, and now I have to fix her mistake." She muttered, tossing the paper to the side of the desk. She stood up and looked out of the window, her eyes scanning the courtyard, as if it knew the answer for her problem.

She noticed a few black vans pull up at the front, just outside of the gate. Groups of men with face masks, swords, and guns broke through the gate and breached into the main lobby.

Sona's eyes widened and she rushed down to see what was going on. The men had the students held up in the lobby.

"Listen up people, because I'm only going to say this once. We heard of some wealthy folks coming here, and we thought we would give them a proper welcome." The leader of the group said, holding a tanto to a girl's neck. She shivered in fear as the blade was just mere centimeters from piercing her skin.

Rias and the others wanted to do something, but they knew, that if they tried to move on the men, innocent students would die. Rias herself felt bad, knowing she wouldn't be able to save the people under her watch without exposing herself. Not only that, but there were too many students to save. Rias couldn't just revive everyone she wanted.

She wouldn't need to do that. Fate had other plans.

One of the yakuza went into the nurse's office and yanked Aki and Yuuri out, and shoved them onto the floor. Right as he was about to walk away, he felt someone grab him, before he felt a blade sink into his heart from behind.

The rest of the mercenaries were searching through the crowd of students. They didn't notice that some of their men were missing.

"Hey!" One of the girls shot up nd ran, and the yakuza guarding her sprinted after her. The mercenary tracked her to the kendo club. The girl was a second year with raven black hair and black eyes. She shivered as the man drew closer to her. he was about to just dispose of her, when a sound caught his ears.

It was the sharp and elegant call of an eagle. Looking up, the yukuza mercenary caught sight of the bird he identified, and it started to fly away. He followed the bird with his eyes, before they widened upon catching a look of a white figure. The man blinked, and the figure was gone. He shook his head, muttering that he shouldn't have drank so much before the operation.

The second he turned around to finish the girl, he was face-to-face with the same white figure.

* * *

The yakuza leader was beginning to grow impatient. No one was saying anything, and his men were doing nothing about it. he shook his head. "want something done, you do it yourself." he said, reaching out, and grabbing a pink haired girl. Katase.

"Alright, if no speaks up in next 10 seconds, this girl is dead! You got that?" He said, looking around seeing the conflicted faces of the teens.

"Sir!" The leader rolled his eyes—still holding his tanto to Katase's neck—and adrressed his subordinate. "What?" He asked. The subordinate looked a slight bit nervous when he replied. "Uh, sir. Naki is missing."

"Well then that's his fault. He won't be getting a cut."

The leader searched the crowd with his eyes, until he caught sight of Rias finally. 'Hm, I think she'll do.' He thought.

But suddenly, the sound of something hitting the ground caught his attention. He looked down at the floor and saw a ball shaped ob- "A bomb!" He panicked and threw Katase down.

A black plume of smoke began to shroud the students and yakuza. They kept their guard up as the smoke crept around them, as if taunting them.

*Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!*

The sound of bodies hitting the floor caught the leader's ears and he was now looking around at rapid pace. What was happening? This was supposed to be an easy job!

Luckily, a gust of wind—gentle as it was—blew the cloud away and revealed that the men around had been killed. There was no one else here but the students, and it didn't seem like any of them had moved.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of dread. Looking around, he tried to find the source of his uneasy feeling, until he saw a feather slowly drift in front of his face without a care in the world. It was brown. He looked up, expecting to see a bird, but...

Instead, he saw three white figures looking down at him.

'What? How the hell? When did they get there? Where?' His rapid fire of questions was brought to an end when a loud soud rang out through the campus.

*Pow!*

The yakuza leader felt a slight sting in his chest, and looked down. He saw a trail of red liquid going down his chest. Blood. His blood.

He collapsed to the ground dead. Rias and Sona managed to catch a good look at the robed figures on the roof before they turned their backs to them, and disappeared. With swiftness, Rias and Sona quickly erased everyone's memories so they would not remember, and pursued the unknown figures.

However hard they tried, ended in disappointment, and frustration.

The figures were gone, as if they were just an illusion since the moment they had appeared.

* * *

Done. Sorry again for the wait. Work occupies most of my day time, and another majority is spent planning out and thinking about how to progress my stories. Don't worry though, I'm not overworking myself. But, something like writing takes time, and I prefer to come up with thought out, solid ideas while sticking with just a bit of the original plot.

So, after this chapter, the assassins will be found by the supernatural. They've made a big risk exposing themselves, but it was either remaining in secret and keep their edge, or they follow their duty to safeguard innocents.

I hope this was satisfactory, and I'll be sure to get to work on the next chapter ASAP.


	7. Chapter 7

Finally back with number 7, have at it.

Oh, and all of the update notes will be at the bottom after the chapter.

Okay, now have it.

* * *

Yorukaze sat with a deceptive smile plastered on his face, as he listened to the drunken bar attendees banter back and forth.

The young assassin looked to his own glass of scotch that had been untouched.

"Funny, how people like alcohol, but not vice versa.." He mused to himself. It wasn't until he heard the tavern doors open, that he turned his attention away from his drink.

There in the doorway, stood his target.

The man was around 30 years of age, a bit of a rugged look with short and shaggy brown hair, and a bit of stubble on his cheeks and chin. His brown eyes scanned the selection of different whiskeys to wines on the shelves behind the bar.

Yorukaze took a sip of his scotch as he watched the man stroll in without a care in the world. It seemed he was relaxed, most likely he had some free time on his hands, and he chose to spend it here in a tavern.

"I'll take the Gruner Hund Vintage." He said. The bartender nodded handed him a bottle of 1991 Gruner Hund whiskey. A very well liked German whiskey.

Yorukaze did have to admit that the had some good taste. Yes, the young assassin did have a tase for alcohol, sue him.

"Mind if I keep you company?" Yorukaze's eyes flicked up, and the man was standing in front of him with the chair already pulled out.

"By all means." He replied.

"You look a bit young to be in a place like this." His target said, taking a long swig from his whiskey.

"I didn't know I needed permission." Yorukaze retorted before taking his scotch down.

"You want it darker fellas?" They heard the bartender asked. There were rounds of 'yeah' and 'yes' from all around the room.

'We kill the flame.' The clock on the walls chimes as it reached up for 12:00pm.

"Time to go." Yorukaze said lowly. The man heard him mutter and asked, "What was that son?"

The moment the lights went dim, Yorukaze stood up and left the table, dropping something in the man's bottle as he passed.

As he left, there were shouts and cries of shock as the man inside began to choke on his drink.

"Irony." Yorukaze mused as he melted into the shadows.

* * *

Issei watched with concern as Indra was once more being healed by Asia's magic. The devils were on their tail now, and it would only be a matter of time until they were found out.

On their way back to the hideout, the assassins had spilt their oaths as to avoid being caught all together.

Indra just happened to be the unfortunate one, and ran into trouble on his way back.

(Flashback)

Indra slipped through the crowds with the flexibility and agility of a snake, coming in hot on its prey. The devils were surely looking for them now, as well as the remaining Yakuza members that had discovered their operation had gone awry.

During his musings as he fled, Indra was unfortunate enough to ram into a searching member.

"Hey, that's one of them!" He cried, and shortly after he was joined by his companions.

Indra reached behind his back and grabbed his kodachi, swinging it out in reverse grip.

"Get him!" Indra sidestepped and ducked below a clumsy swing before he slit the fool's throat. Indra whipped his head around to the left to see a Yakuza member leveling a pistol at him. He grabbed the closest member and used him as a shield and took his own pistol out.

*Pew!*

Indra popped a bullet through his head when his enemy ran his gun empty. One last Yakuza member remained, and he was sizing up the assassin.

They both took their swords and the Yakuza member rushed forward, the thrusting his sword straight at Indra's heart. Indra parried the blow, but the redirecting of the blade went sour when the katana blade still managed to cut Indra's right arm.

The Yakuza member took this time to shove Indra back before raising his sword high, and intended to plunge the blade into his stomach.

Indra, seeing his pistol close, rolled on the ground before the boss could hit home, and fired off three solid hits into his chest.

*Pew!* *Pew!* *Pew!*

The Yakuza member fell dead, and Indra gathered himself before fleeing the scene.

(Flashback End)

Issei shook his head, hoping to clear his thoughts. It did little, but he managed calm himself some.

"I really wish the others here." He said.

"Don't we all?" Ichika said, sitting up with a grunt. "What do we do now? If we go back to school, I know damn well we will get cornered." He said.

Issei agreed. The devils would be on guard now, waiting for them to make an appearance. The templars were the least of their worries right now. After all, both sides are on the brink of extinction.

"We'll just have to make do. We can wait this out, but we can't just remain idle either. We still have work to do." Issei said, after sorting his thoughts.

"Were in quite a pickle, huh?" Ichika said, leaning back into his pillows.

There couldn't be a better way to describe it.

"Issei." The brunette looked up to see Indra walking over. He had a note in his hand.

'The eagle is migrating.' It said. Issei smiled. "The others are alright. We might not have to wait for very long." He said.

* * *

Shoraku took a deep breath and savored the smell of the air. The smell of home. While being born in the city of Kyoto, Shoraku was still happy to be back in Japan, even if Kuoh was less exciting.

"We're finally back." Hayato said, standing beside his golden eyed partner. Shoraku smiled, eyeing the top of a skyscraper under construction.

"What do you say to getting a good view?" Shoraku asked. Hayato smiled back at Shoraku and the two rushed over to the abandoned construction site. They scaled the tall skyscraper, going to heights not even some of the most fearless climbers would dare to.

They reached the top level where the floor was incomplete. The wind playfully tugged at Shoraku's hair as he roamed the horizon of the city with his eyes.

"Kuoh, never thought I would see it again." He mused. Hayato rolled his eyes beside him. "What, were you expecting to die?" He asked rhetorically. Shoraku grinned and replied anyway. "Yep." He said.

Hayato chuckled, before he leapt from the end of the ledge, flipping gracefully onto his back as he landed in a rather setup of mattresses. They looked rather old and worn out, and yet they still maintained their softness.

"Was someone trying to camp out here or what?" Hayato looked around seeing just how many worn out mattresses were sitting on the ground. He counted about 7 old mattresses sitting about.

Looking up, he saw Shoraku free running his way down, landing on beams that were jutting out and using them like swings to lower himself.

"I didn't think that was your style Hayato." Shoraku snarked, seeing his friend on the pile of stained beds.

Hayato shook his head. "Come on, let's see if we can't find Issei and Indra." He said, standing up and brushing off his robes.

Shoraku hopped off his perch and followed Hayato into the city.

* * *

Issei stepped back when Ichika thrusted the blunt end of his naginata at him. He missed the deadly pole-arm by a few inches. He took the opportunity to swat the weapon to the side and swung his bokken upwards before it stopped right under Ichika's chin.

"You have good skill, assassin. But as a master I have much more under my belt." He said, letting Ichika ease out. The two sat down on a nearby bench, taking a break from their training.

"That was really good you guys." Mittelt said from around the corner. Issei smiled and patted the spot next to him, inviting her for a seat. The younger blonde sat down next to the master assassin as he tilted his head back, taking in gulps of water from a water bottle.

"How are you doing Mittelt? I hope you don't feel too cooped up in our hideout. I know it's rather bland to not get out once in a while." Issei said after wiping his mouth.

"It's okay, I guess. I'm grateful you gave us a place to stay, but I would like to see the sun again sometime." Issei smiled.

"Well, I guess I could take you outside, as long as you don't wander on your own. The devils will mistake your intentions." He reasoned. Mittelt nodded gratefully and followed Issei out of the hideout.

In the library, Indra and Fei occupied the corner of the room, keeping their intimacy from prying eyes. The pale master assassinhad his hands resting on the Cheshire Cat's hips, with the female partner having her arms coiled around his neck.

"You know, I was worried when I heard you were caught." She said, leaning her forehead against his. Indra moved his right hand up to caress her cheek comfortingly. "I thought you had more faith in me." The slightest trace of amusement began to become evident in his voice as he spoke.

Fei pouted. "What is a woman to do when the man she loves is injured?" She asked dramatically. Indra tilted his head at her act, making her pout further. "You're no fun." She said.

"You're overdramatic." He replied, stone faced.

Piercing amber met with acidic green, locking in a gaze that could probably melt time itself. Indra captured Fei's lips, engaging in a liplock with the riddle loving feline.

"Mmmm." She moaned into the kiss. The separated with a wet smack before they quickly wrapped their arms around each other again and locked together again.

At the park, Issei watched Mittelt as she sat close to him and enjoyed an ice cream that he got for her. It was funny really. This girl—a fallen angel no less—was younger than him by only a year, and she had such childlike energy.

"What?" Mittelt asked, noticing his gaze directed at her.

Issei shook his head, amused. "It's a little hard to believe you're a fallen angel sometimes." He said. True enough, Mittelt's childlike demeanor would have been mistaken for a child with a pure heart if it wasn't for one thing. She had been exposed Raynare and Kalawarner, hence her fashion of choice as well as her harsh words that sometimes come out of her mouth in combat.

He noticed Mittelt tense up suddenly, which could only mean one thing.

'Dammit.' He cursed in his head.

"Oh, hey Issei!" The brunette heard the familiar voice of Rias Gremory. Coming from the left—most likely a store—was the red haired princess of Kuoh academy.

"Hello Rias, how are you?" He replied with his own question.

"I'm doing fine, but am a bit concerned. Are _you_ okay? No one saw you yesterday." She said, getting straight to the point.

'Very daring.' Issei thought as he made a quick excuse. "Yes, about that. I was called by an old friend who really needed some help. I couldn't really say no, since I like to look out for my peers." He said.

Rias smiled and nodded, her smile never once changing. "That's completely understandable. I hope that they're okay." She replied.

Issei smiled. "Yes, they are now. Thank you for your concern." He said. This was not good. Rias was trying to carry on the conversation while Issei was trying to end it as quickly as possible. He also knew that Mittelt and Rias were aware of what the other was.

He stood up and bowed to Rias, before gently taking Mittelt's hand in his own. "Well, I apologize to cut our time short, but my girlfriend and I must get back to having our own one on one time." He lied.

Rias kept her smile, and said, "Of course, please don't let me intrude."

* * *

Issei subtly sent Mittelt a look with a flick of his eyes in her direction. He had to make sure she was calm, and didn't blow their little act. Right now, they both walked hand in hand, like any normal couple.

When Issei was certain he was out of her hearing distance—knowing full well devils had hearing 10 times better than a human—he took Mittelt into a shop.

"Listen carefully, Mittelt. You have to remain calm when you're around the devils." He said.

"But-" "I know, it's hard being so close to your enemies, but you have to keep up a calm demeanor. If the devils find us out, we have a much bigger problem on our hands. We'll be caught in between two enemies at once." He reasoned.

Mittelt went silent after that. Issei was right, while the templars were just as few in number as the assassins, it did not mean that they would simply sit idle. They would use any chance they could to wash them out of hiding, and hunt them down.

The blonde was conflicted. She didn't want to be anywhere near the devils, but she also didn't want to put the assassins in more danger than they already were.

What she failed to notice were two silhouettes on the roof across from the shop, watching them.

"Okay." She said, after being quiet for a few minutes. Issei then pat her on the head, making her hum with a warm smile. "Now while were here, why don't we order something for lunch?" He suggested. Mittelt wouldn't disagree.

On the roof, the two assassins smiled seeing their friend enjoying himself. "Should we go say hi?" Shoraku asked, looking at Hayato from the corner of his eyes while smirking.

"Not right now. Let Issei enjoy his date first." The red eyed boy replied.

"Right then. So, what did you think of that Gremory girl?" Shoraku asked beginning to inspect his L118A1.

"I don't think she's going to leave us be. You saw how she tried to pry Issei for information." Hayato replied, sitting at the edge of the roof.

"Don't forget, this is her territory. She's going to keep an eye out for anyone she thinks is suspicious. It's her job, as much as I don't like it." Shoraku replied back, cleaning the lense of his scope.

Hayato nodded in agreement with that one. However, just because it's her territory, doesn't mean Rias is aware of _everything_ that happens. She may have started becoming suspicious now, but she has no clue what she's trying to get involved in.

A war for humanity's peace, with the utmost discretion.

"Come on, let's find a spot." Shoraku leapt off the roof, down into an alley with Hayato following suit.

* * *

Issei had felt the eyes on him as he shared a crepe with Mittelt. While it did feel a bit suspicious, Issei could sense no hostile intent from his audience.

When they were finished, Issei left some money to tip the waiter.

Outside once more, Issei took Mittelt by the hand again, and led through an alley. He wasn't going to take a chance—on the off chance it was another devil—with this new stalker.

They they were almost out on the other end of the alley, when they heard a voice call from behind them.

"Really Issei, is that any way to treat your friends? And we came all this way to see you again." The voice held a tone littered with dry amusement.

Issei turned around—getting a sense of deja vu—and saw two robed figures. The robes were easy to recognize by just design alone.

The first figure wore robes with a light grey base and dark red trimming. On his hip was European styled katana.

The second figure wore robes with an amber colored base, and white trimmings. The L118A1 sniper rifle was easy to see, with butt end poking out from behind his shoulder.

They both lowered their hoods, revealing two young boys about Issei's age.

The first boy had hair as black as the lead of a pencil, and crimson colored eyes. His skintone was just slightly darker than the regular Japanese. The second boy's hair was much darker—dark as the feathers of a raven—and his eyes were a sharp gold that looked straight through him. His skin was slightly paler than a regular Japanese person.

"How's it been Issei?" The red eyed boy asked.

Issei blinked, before he smiled and let go of Mittelt's hand.

"It's good to see you two again, Shoraku, Hayato." The three all shared a bro hug, while Mittelt looked unsure.

Issei beckoned her over and introduced her. "Guys, this is Mittelt. She's a fallen angel. Mittelt, this is Hayato and Shoraku. These two are old friends, and assassins like me." He said.

Mittelt swallowed her nervousness, and shook their hands.

"Maybe we should talk in a more secure location? I can feel eyes on us." Shoraku said, prompting them to get moving.

"Been a while since we last saw this place. Now, it's filled with more tenants than I remember." Shoraku commented seeing the fallen angels and Fei, filling out the hideout.

"Glad to have you guys back." Ichika said as he and Hayato fist bumped.

"I know this may not be a good time, but I have to ask. Have you heard from Yorukaze or Komiharu?" Issei was hoping that they would have a positive response.

Shoraku and Hayato shared a look, before shaking their heads.

"Can't say we have." Shoraku sighed. "We last heard from Komiharu before he left for Spain. And Yorukaze went completely dark, no word from him whatsoever." Issei looked down, professing the information.

"We can only hope for the best then." He said, before feeling Ichika pat him the shoulder.

"Hey, remember Issei. They're assassins, skilled ones. They can handle it. Just have patience."

Fei suddenly started growling while glaring at the door. "What-"

Everyone drew their weapons out with lightning reflexes as the door opened. There in the way was Rias Gremory, and her Queen, Akeno Himejima.

"Oh my, what a reception." The ravenette put a finger to her lip. Rias had that same smile on her face from when she was talking to Issei in the park.

"So this is what's going on. It seems we have some rogues that need to be taken care of." She turned to her Queen. "Akeno."

"I'm on it." The Queen smiled before a red magic circle appeared in front of her hand.

The assassins all had blank, cold expressions on their faces. Until Issei gained a smirk of his own.

"Let's get this party started."

* * *

And there you have it. So, who will win? The warriors of the shadows, or the magic of the supernatural? Only time will tell, until the next chapter.

Now, again, I'll say sorry for making the wait so long, I know it has been a while. I'm still working on-and modifying pairs, so I will post the listings another time.

Now, let's get to know our new characters!

Character bio

Name: Hayato Kisaragi

Age: Born July 7th, 1998 (currently 17)

Rank: Assassin

Personality: Hayato was not born into the order, and became an assassin by choice after his younger sister Karen was killed in a fire accident. Hayato has a natural good natured and calm demeanor, his home being the calm city of Takamatsu. Hayato is caring towards others, and will not hesitate to help those in need. Unless he knows they don't need it, or it's just a ruse.

Weapons:

Hidden blades: New fashioned hidden blades made from stronger steel alloy.

European katana: A European styled katana, forged to fit Hayato's tastes. It's been made to be as straight as a regular European longsword, but shaped like the traditional Japanese designed katana.

Heckler and Koch USP: Hayato was given this by Issei after he stole it from a templar weapon dealer.

Kunai(max 20): Kunai for silent, long distance takedowns.

Equipment:

Assassin notebook: Used by Hayato to store away vital information and personal thoughts.

Assassin robes: New set of traditional robes, consisting of a modified kimono and hakama pants.

Character bio

Name: Shoraku Anderson

Age: Born January 21st, 1997 (currently 18)

Rank: Assassin 3rd rank

Personality: Shoraku was born into the order, and is an assassin by choice. Shoraku is one of the unique members of the group, being born from a British father and Japanese mother. Shoraku adopts both aspects of snarky sarcasm, and easygoing tranquility.

Weapons:

Hidden blades: New fashioned hidden blades made from stronger steel alloy.

Wakizashi: A custom forged, and elegant wakizashi, made only a few inches longer than normal.

L118A1 SD: This sniper rifle was given to Shoraku by his father, master assassin Derrick Anderson. It is equipped with a suppressor.

SIG Sauer P230: A SIG Sauer P230, stolen from a British weapon cache.

Karambit knife: A sharp and deadly karambit knife.

Equipment:

Assassin notebook: Used by Shoraku, mainly to express inner thoughts.

Assassin robes: New set of tradition robes, consisting of a modified kimono and hakama pants.

I'm done now, I'll see you guys next time. I hope you enjoyed it.


	8. Chapter 8

Here we are with chapter number eight! I got this out much fast than I was expecting to. Considering how much work I have to punch through...

Anyway, I'll have more notes down after the chapter over, so for now, enjoy yourselves.

* * *

Akeno's hands summoned magic circles and created two arcs of golden electricity. The assassins got out of the way of the impact area and took maneuvers.

Issei watched the Queen closely, as well as Rias. They were the only ones here, and obviously they were the most powerful. But it seemed the assassins all found the same weakness in them.

This would be over quickly, if they could get close enough.

"Ichika, Shoraku, keep them busy!" Issei ordered. Ichika twirled his naginata between his fingers while reaching for his shuriken pouch.

Shoraku rolled back, taking his L118A1 into his hands. "Got'em."

Issei and Indra both rushed at Akeno, with the Queen making defense spells already. If they were correct in their assumptions...

Issei and Indra ran at Akeno with the intent to kill. And the Queen was ready for the blow, until they tricked her.

Akeno had been ready for the two to come straight at her. When they were close she would activate the magic spell to create a shield around her and Rias. What happened, was Issei whipped out his M92 and shot at Rias as he closed the distance between him and Akeno. Indra was right next to him, aiming for the Queen.

Akeno had activated her spell, but she had noticed too late that one of the hooded killers was missing. Hearing her King cry out, she turned to see that Hayato had been caught inside the shield, and he now held his katana close to Rias' neck.

The plan had worked flawlessly. They never once called out to Hayato, in order to keep him from being found out, and had him follow in their shadows. When he had reached the required distance between them and the devils, Hayato was free to take the chance to slip past their defense and take the leader hostage.

Indra and Issei stood outside of the shield with mysterious little grins showing from under their hoods.

Akeno now had two choices. She could try and kill them, at the risk of Rias being killed as well. Or, she could surrender. At the very least, Rias might be spared, and they would just have to deal with whatever consequence they may be given.

"Will you surrender? Or will you force us to spill innocent blood?" Issei asked.

Akeno really wanted to do something, but Rias' safety was always the top priority. So with much reluctance, she took the shield down.

"Now, it seems we're in a bit of pickle." He said, a hint of humor in his voice.

"What do you want?" Rias asked, trying not to let the blade at her neck cut her.

"We only want to do our duty. However, it seems that the supernatural is now going to be involved. And that's not a pretty picture." Issei replied.

Now that they've been exposed, the assassins had to either leave their home, or—very reluctantly—make a deal. And making deals with devils was never exactly a good thing. Devils were very greedy creatures, and Issei could see it clear as day, Rias would not hesitate to bargain for something.

"And what duty is that?" She asked. Issei sighed. "That is not information we can just give to anyone." He replied to her question.

"Why not?" Issei shook his head. "You're a curious little thing aren't you?"

"This is my territory. I'm the one who watches over it." She said.

Coming forward, Shoraku commented. "Well, you're obviously doing a horrible job."

That made the redhead glare at him. "I'm not! I'm doing what I'm told to do, and keeping my peerage safe!" She said.

The golden eyed assassin then dropped the bomb on her.

"So you're saying you care only for you and your peerage? Then you don't care what happens to the people here in your territory?" His eyes bored into her from under his hood.

Rias said nothing, looking to Akeno for help, but the Queen couldn't really say anything either.

"We've been doing this longer than you think we have. And you're just now noticing it." Issei said.

"Since you know where our hideout is, we can't just send you off. For all we know, you may try to hunt us down an eradicate us." He continued, thinking of what to do.

"How about we make a deal then?" Rias asked.

Issei turned back to her. "I know what happens when you make deals with devils. I'm not going to fall for that trick." He said.

Rias had to think. Getting them to make contracts was out of the question. She could see just a little bit of skill in them as fighters, so maybe she could work with that. But they were very well aware of how devils seemed to do business, so it wouldn't be easy by any means. They had no trust in her, not that she could really blame them.

But...she had to get out of this problem of her's somehow. She needed help. So, perhaps...

"I...I need help." She said. Issei didn't say anything, but he was listening.

Rias swallowed. "There's... I have this problem that I need help with..." She seemed to become very uncomfortable in just a short period.

"If you can help me, then I can give you something in return. Anything! Just name your price." She said, with her head lowered so they could see her face.

Akeno seemed to know what her King was talking about. If the saddened expression on her face didn't seem to give off any clues.

There was long pause before Issei spoke. I'll talk with my peers here first. Then I'll give you my answer." He said.

"Come on." As he walked into the library with the others, he called out Asia. "Asia, please, make some tea for our guests." The blond nun came out of her room and swallowed nervous at the sight of devils.

"O-Okay." She stuttered while moving to the kitchen area.

* * *

"I don't like this Issei." Indra said.

"I know, but we have very limited options." The brunette replied.

"We can't hold her hostage forever. She's the heiress to the Gremory clan, a powerful family under the 72 pillars. They'll come searching for her." Hayato reasoned.

"We can't take too much risk bargaining with her either. I can tell just from looking at her, she's good at the art of manipulation. Don't forget that devils love to be greedy." Shoraku commented.

Of that, there was no doubt. Rias had seen only just a fraction of what they were capabale of. But, being able to detain a high class devil is something that would obviously get a strong person's attention.

Well...strong with magic anyway. Rias was not the least bit capabale with physical, hand-to-hand combat.

Issei rubbed his temples, not sure what to do. The decision he made would make quite an impact.

"Let's just hear what she has to say." Ichika said, making the choice for the brunette.

The others were all skeptical, including Issei himself. But he had to remember that he wanted to keep his mind open, and not one-tracked.

"Alright, let's do it." He said.

They left the girls in the library so they wouldn't do anything stupid. Issei greeted Rias with a leveled stare—not that she could see it—and said, "Let's hear this proposition of yours."

Rias sighed with relief. "I can leave you all alone. But...I'd like just one favor in return." She said.

Issei raised a curious eyebrow. "And what might that be? It won't endanger any of my peers, will it?"

Rias carefully chose her next words. "I...well, it depend-"

Issei frowned. "I think I've heard enough." He said.

Rias quickly raised her voice. "Please! I'm desperate! I need help!" She said.

The assassins all took notice of her change in attitude. Okay, there was definitely a problem on hand, but again, they would be putting their lives in danger for her.

"Why would you ask us? We're nothing but complete strangers to you. Is your problem really that bad?" The master assassin asked, his expression never once changing.

Rias nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is. Please, I'll give you anything in return. Anything you want." She said hoping to reason.

...

There was a long, tense moment of silence before anyone uttered a word.

"If we do this," Issei started as he moved forward towards Rias. "You'll give us anything we want?" He asked.

Rias nodded. "Anything." She said.

Issei gained a mysterious little grin on his face as he turned away from her, allowing his brothers to see the grin. That was the face of someone who had an idea. A crazy idea.

"Alright. This deal will simply be doing a favor in return for another favor." He said.

"What do you want?" The red haired heiress asked. Issei chuckled. "Don't worry Rias. I don't need anything right now, but I will call you on this favor should it ever come up. Is that fair?" Rias nodded in response. As long as she got help for her situation, then she would take the risk.

"Yes, that seems fair enough." She replied. "Come by the Occult Research Club 3 Days from today. That's when we'll meet." She said. Issei nodded in response as Rias and Akeno both disappeared in a crimson circle of magic.

"What now, Issei?" Indra asked as the rest of their tenants came out from hiding.

"Now? I recommend we keep our eyes open and guard up. If Rias is aware of us, then we can be certain more attention is sure to follow. Whenever anyone is out on a mission, be sure to take extra caution." He said.

Everyone nodded, and finally settled down.

* * *

With his arms tied to the chair behind him, Dieter Frankfurt could do nothing as he gazed up at forward at his captor. The younger man in front of him wore robes of some fashion. They appeared to be a mix of a Japanese kimono and a German trench coat, colored a rich, white sand color. Underneath were black breeches and brown boots made for combat.

The young man had a hood shrouding his face in shadows. His identity was further hidden by a black cloth face mask wrapped around his lower face.

"So, I take it this isn't just a cult recruitment?" He asked with snark.

"Ich bin nicht in der stimmung für spiele." The younger man replied with a cold monotone.

Dieter raised an eyebrow. "By the sound of your accent, I can tell you're Austrian." He said.

"Oh? Wat hat es verraten?" The boy replied with snark, mocking the older man.

"Alright kid, I don't know who you think you are. But I got powerful friends." He said threateningly.

"I know. That's why, they won't find anything left of you when I'm through." The younger boy spoke in clear English. His tone had changed back to it's monotone.

Before the man could question him, the boy plunged a tactical knife into his leg.

"Graaagh!" The man cried in pain as the steel blade penetrated.

"What is your leader planning? I know he's been sending shipments to England."

"Grrrr!" The man growled as the knife dug into his femur.

"I won't ask again." The assassin said.

Dieter grunted as the knife was yanked out of his leg. "Okay! Okay! Look, I don't know my boss personally, but he said he wanted some weapon shipments taken to England to supply a mercenary force."

The assassin narrowed his eyes.

"What kind of force?" He asked.

"Japanese Commandos." Dieter replied.

The assassin's eyes widened.

"This isn't good." He whispered to himself.

Dieter however, heard him. "If you plan to stop it, you're too late kid. The plan is already in motion."

The young assassin sighed, irritated. He took out a P38 Walther and fired a bullet right between Dieter's eyes.

"I have to find out more. Looks like my next stop is London." He said as he left the room.

* * *

"Can you manage things while I'm gone, Indra?" Issei asked.

Three days had gone day rather swiftly, and now it was time for Issei to be called in for the favor he owed.

Indra nodded. "Just be safe."

Issei grimaced. "There's no guarantee, but I will be careful." He replied.

"Best of luck to you then." Indra said.

Issei gave his oldest friend a nod before leaving the safety of the hideout.

The brunette assassin made his way to the old school building where Rias told him to meet. He knocked on the door, and shortly after, Kiba answered the door.

"Ah, hello Issei. Good to have you here. Follow me this way." The blond boy led him to an elevator, which took them up to another floor. After exiting, they walked down a hallway before turning right to face a door.

"Here we are." Kiba said, opening the door for the assassin.

Inside, Issei immediately was on guard. He didn't have the element of surprise here, and he was surrounded by devils with strength and powers that could easily kill him. He was out of his element.

It seemed Issei also walked in on an important conversation because there was another blond man in a burgundy suit standing by Rias, glaring at him. There was also a maid with silver hair, standing behind her desk.

"Why is there a human here, Rias?" He asked with venom.

"He's here because I asked him to be here, Riser." She replied with just as much.

Riser scoffed. "I see no point. No matter how much help you get, you still can't get out of this Rias. Our parents agreed to it." He said, making Issei raise an eyebrow.

"And I don't care what my parents said, I'm not doing it!" She yelled at him.

Riser's eye gained an amber glow, and fire formed around his hands. "I guess I'll just have to take you by force then."

Issei would have intervened, but this wasn't his fight. The maid stepped in between the two and an icey aura took over the room.

"I am here on behalf of Lord Lucifer. I will not allow the two of you to fight here. Is that understood?" She asked with a tone that reminded Issei of Indra.

Riser backed off and frowned. "When the Strongest Queen makes such an ominous statement, who am I to say no?"

Rias rolled her eyes and sat down at her desk. She then smiled to Issei and beckoned for him to come over. Issei quickly scanned everyone in the room as he did so. This room was now a warzone, and he was caught in the crossfire.

"What the hell Rias? Are you trying to kill me?" He whispered so that only she could hear.

Rias gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry Issei. I really am, but I need your help." She replied.

"With what? I'm only human Rias. Against magic and superhuman strength, I'm like an ant compared to you!" He whispered harshly.

Rias sighed, knowing full well he was correct.

Grayfia stepped towards Rias and said, "If you will not cooperate lady Rias, Lord Lucifer has made it an option to challenge Lord Riser to a Rating Game."

Rias widened her eyes. What was her brother thinking?! Rias then quickly squashed the thought of her brother and quickly accepted.

"I'll do it." She said.

Grayfia nodded. "Very well, I let the Lord know of your decision."

Riser smirked. "Might I be so generous to give you a handicap, my love?" He asked.

Rias rolled her eyes. "No thanks. I'll do what What needs to be done."

Riser waved her off. "Oh well then. I'll see you at the wedding." He said, leaving in a blaze of fire.

After Riser was gone, Issei took a moment to glare at Rias.

"Rias, I'm putting my _life_ on the line here! I hope you keep that in mind." He said.

Rias looked guilty. "I know Issei. But please, I really need you." She begged.

Issei sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you need from me?" He asked, knowing he was going to regret it.

"My peerage and I are going to take 10 days to train ourselves for the game. I'd like you to assist in our training." She said.

Issei closed his eyes, thinking about the situation. He knew very well he couldn't just leave. Despite being a rather nosy devil, Rias was innocent. It was his job to safeguard the innocent.

And yet...

"Alright, I'll help. However, I won't be doing this alone." He said, making Rias nod

Issei pulled out his cellphone. Issei hardly used the device when he was out, to avoid drawing attention to himself. Just a simple sound would give him away if he was on a mission right now.

Issei dialed a number and waited patiently until the receiver picked up.

"Hey Issei, what's got you by nads this time?" Shoraku asked on the other side. It seemed the sniper was already aware of the situation, somehow.

"Work, as always." The brunette responded. "I'll need your help with this one."

"I'll be there in about 10 minutes." The sniper replied.

"Thanks." Issei said before hanging up.

Rias decided to get the club moving as they packed everything they would need for the trip. "So, are your friends coming?" She asked.

"Just one." He replied.

Rias raised an eyebrow. "Why only one? You all seem pretty skilled." She said.

"Apart from myself, I need another master to run things while I'm gone. Indra is capable of that. The help I asked for will assist with certain...exploits." He said, grinning slightly at the end.

For some reason, Rias didn't like that grin.

* * *

And there we go! It's done.

Sorry again for the long delay, but being a senior means a lot of different things are put on my plate. There's a lot of stuff being offered, pressured, and required of me that takes up a nice chunk of my time.

However, I'm always trying to work when I can to get these updates out for you guys.

So, for the next chapter, we have our brunette master, and half British sniper teaching our star devil-y group some things about combat.

I don't know about you guys, but I think it will be more than just a simple tea party. :)

Until next time.


	9. Chapter 9

Here we go, the Rating Game arc. This is personally one of my favorite places in the story to mess with.

Enjoy the ninth installment of Restoration.

* * *

"Hm, a manor. Fancy that." Shoraku mused.

Issei chuckled beside him.

After Shoraku had arrived, Rias had him follow her group up to a manor her family had owned up in the mountains. This was where she wanted to train for her Rating Game against Riser Phenex.

"It's nod bad." The brunette said.

Rias dropped the bags she was carrying, and turned to everybody. "Well, we have little time, so let's get started right away!" She exclaimed.

Shoraku smirked.

"Nose to the grindstone. I like that." Issei said, making Rias smile. However, that was for the wrong reason. She would find out soon enough though.

"Please give us a few minutes to get ready." She said, while the two assassins nodding in understanding.

"By all means." Issei said, as he and Shoraku sat on the grass.

"You know this is completely bonkers, right?" The golden eyed sniper said, gazing into the distance.

"Yeah, but that's what makes it entertaining." Issei replied.

Shoraku scoffed, but his grin never left his face. "True enough."

Rias and the others came out not long after the conversation was finished.

"Sorry, I hope we didn't take to long." The redhead said.

Everyone was dressed in a red jogging suit. Shoraku snorted at the sight.

"We're ready to begin if you are." Issei said.

Rias smiled.

"Alright. Let's-"

"Actually, Rias. My friend and I here have an idea." Issei interrupted her.

"Oh, okay. So what do you have in mind?" She asked.

Shoraku and Issei both shared a look. This just might actually be fun.

"Let's start with hand to hand combat." Issei looked at everyone. He stopped at Koneko, remembering Rias saying she was the Rook of the peerage. This meant she wouldn't be first. The smaller girl already had experience with unarmed combat, but everyone knew the flaw that Rooks had, which was speed.

"Kiba, You'll spar with Shoraku. And Rias, you will spar with me." Issei said with a smile.

"But, I don't have-" Rias stopped when she realized it.

'Oh, this is going to be fun.' Issei thought, seeing her expression.

"Well, it's like you said. No time to waste." He said, smirking devilishly.

Rias swallowed her nerves and stepped up.

"Let's begin. Lesson one: hand to hand combat." Issei began.

Rias took a stance, or at least she tried to. So it became apparent here Rias has never once confronted someone physically. Well, that was going to have to change. She couldn't rely on magic forever.

"Come at me." He said, making Rias gulp.

"Okay." She said, before running at him. Issei waited patiently, and when the redhead was within the right range, he sidestepped.

Rias flew past him, and had to stop herself. Issei simply smirked. Rias rushes towards him and again, and threw a sloppy punch. Issei tilted his head to the right, easily dodging the attack.

Rias aimed with her left hand, and tried to follow up. Issei repeated his previous gesture and continued to do so. Rias would throw sloppy punches as Issei weaved around her and dodged all of her attacks.

The brunette could see sweat beginning to work up on her brow. They had been going on this match for about 10 minutes.

Truthfully, Issei never intended to counter her. He was just testing her. Just before all of this, Issei could see Rias had a lot of work to do. First off, it seemed Rias had some stamina, which was good. He could torture her longer. Second, obviously Rias has never trained her body for combat.

"Alright. That's good enough." Rias stopped, and put her hands on her knees as she panted.

"You never even fought back." She managed to speak.

"I know. I was assessing your skill to see what you need to improve. I can honestly say you've got a lot of work to do." He said.

Rias blinked.

"You have no experience in combat, except with magic. This leaves you with a disadvantage. If you were to use up all of your magic, you would be completely vulnerable to physically stronger opponents. And going with that, you need to know how to fight back, not just make your body stronger." He said.

Issei looked to the right to see Shoraku pulling Kiba up to his feet.

"The speed of a Knight is no joke, Kiba. However, you also rely on your swords. You also need work in hand to hand. And you need to know how to counter attacks, and not just deliver." He said.

"Shoraku, I trust you can oversee this regimen while I assess Akeno and Koneko?" The raven haired assassin nodded as he began to instruct the blond and the redhead.

* * *

"So, what will you have us do, Issei?" Akeno smiled, putting her hand to her cheek.

The brunette smiled back.

"Koneko here already has experience with unarmed combat. But you, on the other hand, don't. So, I'm going to start you off with a light regimen. I hope you're ready to work." He said.

The two nodded, as the assassin grinned.

"Good. Koneko, I'm going to have you run around the manor-" The little girl didn't seem excited.

Until Issei fished out something from his bag.

"With all of this armor on." He said, making her blink.

"Okay." She replied.

"I want you to run around the manor until you feel like you're going to pass out." He smirked, seeing her freeze.

Issei clapped her on the shoulders, and sent her towards the armor. "Well, you best get started. We only have 10 days." He said.

He turned back to Akeno who was waiting patiently. Oh, wonderful. Patience was a good trait for someone like her.

"Akeno, you obvious rely on magic like Rias does. So..." He trailed off, grinning wider.

"You'll be getting physical training just like Rias." He said.

Issei took off his bracers and set them down on the ground. He stood confidently, and mouthed for Akeno to pursue.

"Come at me." He said.

...

About 20 minutes later, Issei stood over Akeno smiling. It seemed Akeno had more resilience than Rias did. She could certainly take some punishment, he would give her that, but she was lacking in terms of physical strength, much like her King.

"Well, I think it's obvious what we need to work on." He said as Akeno picked herself up.

"So, what should we start with?" Akeno asked, sitting up.

"Like Rias, you are adept with magic. You're both familiar with ranged attacks, but you can't do anything up close." He said.

"That means I'll train you just like Shoraku is doing with Rias."

Akeno nodded, and tried to make a stable stance.

For the next 2 hours, the peerage had been trained in the places they were lacking. Mainly the physical attributes.

It wasn't until that the sun began to set, that everyone was ready to call it a day, and go inside to eat, and rest.

"Oh...my...maou." Rias groaned as she slumped in her chair.

Koneko, was laying on the floor.

Kiba had to use his sword like a crutch in order to be able to handle the aching in his legs.

Akeno had her hands on her knees, and was panting heavily.

"I've never...felt so...hot before..." Oh, and the amount of punishment from earlier came back to bite her in the ass. The aching she felt brought an angry burn with it.

Shoraku and Issei were the only ones who looked slightly winded.

"Man, if light sparring has you guys this tired, this will be more tedious than I first thought." Issei commented.

True enough, the two assassins only taught them the basics of what they needed to know. Then they made them work those basics for 2 hours, sparring, exercise and all.

"That was light?!" Rias asked, appalled.

Issei just grinned. "You've never had to physically exhaust yourself before, have you?" He asked.

Rias' silence was the answer to that.

"See. You've been taught your whole life that magic is your greatest weapon. But what about the people who don't use magic? We physically work to improve ourselves to strengthen both our minds and bodies." He explained.

Shoraku nodded with agreement.

"Now that that's done, what's for dinner?" He bluntly asked, making the others face-fault. Shoraku chuckled, nudging Issei with his elbow.

"What say we have a kip before eating, hm?" Shoraku said. He got raised eyebrows in response, but Issei laughed.

"Raku, I don't think they're familiar with British vernacular." He said.

Shoraku sighed, and rolled his eyes. It seemed that even the royalty of the underworld wasn't familiar with England customs.

Except for tea. Everywhere he's gone, every person has always had tea.

He smirked, knowing that his father's home country was number one for tea production since the 17th century.

"Right, so does anyone wish to rest first, or eat?" Issei asked.

Surprisingly, everyone chose to eat. It made sense though, food provided nutrition and energy for the body. Rest would restore you, correct, but resting was mainly to recover from fatigue.

* * *

For dinner, Rias and Akeno prepared a meal fit for a princess.

Pun intended.

"So Issei, I'd like to know about you a little more." Rias said.

Issei gave her a smile. "As long as it isn't too deep, I don't mind sharing some information with you."

"How long have you been busy with your current profession?"

Issei sighed, knowing that inquiry would be coming.

"Well, I've been working since I was a young boy. My grandfather was the one who taught me everything I know now." He said.

"He sounds like a tough man." Rias said, making Issei chuckle.

Shoraku's eyes darted back and forth between the brunette and the redhead.

"Hehe...yeah, he was..." Issei said, his voice trailing off.

Rias quickly caught on and apologized. "O-Oh, I'm sorry."

Issei just smiled. "It's alright. I'm sure he would appreciate such a thought."

Rias still felt unsure, but she knew that the passing of a loved one was never a desirable topic, so she dropped it.

Her eyes then shifted over to the golden eyed boy. "What about you, Shoraku was it?"

The sniper grinned.

"Well, what would you like to know?" He asked.

"Your voice sounds a little off from the normal Japanese. But your name says otherwise." She said.

Shoraku chuckled. "I'm not completely Japanese." He said, making her and Akeno blink.

"My father was British, while my mom was Japanese." He revealed.

As far as heritage goes, Shoraku got most of his looks for his mother, as well as the calm, analytical trait. But he got the strong snarky sense of humor from his dad. And even though he didn't have his father's accent, he still used the British slang and vernacular on a slightly less than often basis. Whether or not that was a good thing was up for debate.

Shoraku also had a legacy to hold onto. Shoraku was Japanese at heart, but even then, he never tried to bury his British heritage, or deny it. He was also the last living British assassin due to that.

The rest of the night carried on with the devils making conversation with the assassins, before everyone had to turn in for the night. They now only had 9 days left to train, and they would need to put in as much effort as possible.

* * *

Yorukaze looked at the supply manifest in his hand a second time just to be sure.

The manifest contained listings of weapons. What got his attention was that these weapons were all imported from Germany.

Now, here's the scoop. Due to Japan being defeated by America in world war 2, they were not allowed to have their own army, just like Germany. But that didn't mean that they couldn't arm their people to defend their country.

That was also why the American 7th naval fleet was in the Sea of Japan.

However, due to not having any army, Japan had no weapons. This was where Germany came in. The weapons company Heckler and Koch, made the weapons often used by their own forces, and the JSDF.

The English army had its own arsenal. So why were German weapons being sent here? Something was not adding up. From the information he got from his last target, Japanese commandos would be using these...

Oh no...

"Now I get it." Yorukaze slumped against a supply crate, palming his face.

Japan and England were at each other's throats back in world war 2. Japan and Germany were both enemies of England in that time.

If armed Japanese people show up with weapons in England, it would start to cause concern, and problems. Then came the weapons. These were German produced weapons, they would also be blamed, for instigating such an action.

This is what the templars were doing. If the assassins didn't stop this, then world war 2 would start all over again.

And then world war 3 would bloom into existence.

"I have to get this back to the others!" Yorukaze got up from his slumped position, and hastily retreated into the shadows before he was seen by someone.

* * *

With now only 7 days left to train, Issei and Shoraku had the devil peerage doing endurance training.

Mainly, this training consisted of the common exercise. Running, jumping jacks, stretching, etc.

More light sparring came afterwards to see how long they could hold off an enemy in combat. They were making progress, but the assassins knew that it wasn't enough. For all they knew, when they were done, it may still not be enough. But they had high hopes for this group, and they weren't about to give up.

"You're showing some improvement." Issei commented, seeing Koneko running for much longer than she did two days ago.

"Thanks." The little whitehead replied.

Issei looked up to the roof of the manor, seeing Shoraku gazing out into the distance with his rifle in his hands.

"Raku!" He called. The golden eyed assassin looked down at him, before jumping down and meeting him.

"Do you need something Issei?" He asked.

Issei shook his head. "You looked a lost up there." The brunette said.

...

The slight pause confirmed his assumption. Kuoh was not Shoraku's home. The golden eyed assassin was born in Kyoto, the city that flared with excitement, and historical glamour.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Shoraku said after thinking.

Issei put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry man. I'm sure Kyoto is ready for you to come home too."

Shoraku smiled at that.

"I bet she is." He replied.

The two stood comfortably in silence, watching Rias and her peerage train to their limit.

The hours ticked by, and the routine for the day was coming to a close.

With dusk approaching, the assassins seemed satisfied with how the routine was going. So far, everyone was showing improvement.

Rias and Akeno's hand-to-hand was still mediocre at best, but that was starting to go up some.

Kiba was able to last longer in open combat. He would need this for when he came across opponents that could draw out conflict longer.

Koneko—due to her wearing heavy armor—was now able to move at quicker speeds after getting used to running with heavy weight.

Little does she know, Issei intends to increase her workout, just like everyone else's.

All in all, it seems that this group just might have a chance yet.

 **Timeskip 2 days**

"Tired already?" Issei asked as Rias fell to the ground. It was another round of sparring, and this time, Issei was the redhead's opponent.

"Y-You're a devil! I-I just kn-know it!" Rias grunted as she sat up.

Issei chuckled as he allowed her to take break. "Here, drink." He handed her a bottle of water, and the red haired princess took it greedily.

"Look on the bright side princess. Your whole peerage will be that much better when the time comes for your game." He said.

"Don't call me princess." Rias frowned. Rias was actually proud of her heritage as a Gremory, but she hated the fact that all anyone ever focused on was her social status.

Not Rias, but Rias Gremory, the heiresss to the Gremory clan. They only saw her for her title, not who she really was.

This was why she had asked to prepare. She wanted Issei to see she wasn't just another snobby noble, but someone who wants to understands others on a equal level.

Even if he did doubt it...

But Issei could see where she was coming from. He shared her point of view in that aspect. That all men, and women should be of equal standing. But sadly, that wasn't the case, and people often abused that power.

That was why the assassin order was made. To defend the people, and their rights.

Meanwhile, the Templar's want to control the people.

Both factions wanted peace, but these methods were different, obviously.

"Are you okay?" Issei snapped out of his musings when he saw Rias standing in front of him, her face filled with concern.

He smiled and waved his hand at her.

"I'm fine Rias. I was only sorting out my thoughts." He reassured her.

Rias took it, and got back into a stance.

Issei smirked. "Ready to get your ass handed to you again?"

Rias rushed forward, and met the master assassin with a determined grin.

* * *

I'm finally back with an update!

Okay, so first, let me apologize for being away for so long—longer than usual. You guys know how it is, senior responsibilities.

So, I spent a lot of free time, writing and editing this one. I hope it was enjoyable.

Now, I think the modifications for listings has finally arrived.

Just remember that out of all of the assassins, Issei and Indra are the main characters.

Pairs for Issei:

Asia: Asia and Issei know each other from acquaintance. They both met in Rome when they were 10 and 8 respectively. They met in a situation where many poor families were moving to the Vatican to be provided with food and water.

Rias: As far as it is now, the two are just acquaintes, but I plan to have Rias start to take an interest in Issei after the Riser arc.

Venelana: No, Venelana is not going to be a Gremory. This means she's not going to be Rias' mother. I'm using someone else from another house for that role. And yes, Venelana is in charge of the strip club. She will not be seen in the underworld very often, but she will be aware of some of the things that go on down there.

Mittelt: After Issei's reassuring words, Mittelt will start to develop feelings for him. He is going to be her "guardian angel" in a sense.

Pairs for Indra:

Fei: As stated much earlier in the story, Indra and Fei know each other by acquaintance, and then developing an attraction to each other as time went on. She was the first girl that Indra ever felt romantically attached to.

Raynare: Her feelings for Indra start to blossom when they start getting to know each other better. Like Mittelt, he's like a guardian figure to her, and someone she appreciates greatly.

Aki (From Maken-Ki): Aki is the typical school nurse, but she has developed a friendly relationship ship with Indra. On that note, she's always concerned for the well being of not just him, but all students, but him more so than others. Eventually she will find out about his and Issei's work.

Kalawarner: I don't want to keep repeating this, so I'll skip it. Much like Raynare and Mittelt, she's very grateful, and now emotionally attached to Indra. She is also going to be a good character to set the mood for romance when times come.

This is all for now. I plan to explain more in the next chapter when I add more girls to the lists. I hope you all have a good night, and I'll see you next time.


	10. Chapter 10

First off, I'm very sorry I took so long for this update guys. I want to say more, but I'll save that for the notes at the end. Right now, I'm sure that you all want to get to reading. So without further ado...

Enjoy.

* * *

With only just one day left, Issei and Shoraku were working Rias and her peerage into the ground.

There was a claim that the master assassin was a bigger sadist than Akeno. No one denied or confirmed it, but it was an amusing thought.

Right now, Issei and Shoraku had the whole peerage sparring with each other until they dropped. The training they were putting them through was rough, much like their own.

And it was no secret that Rias didn't like it, but it would help her in the long run. She was just having a difficult time accepting it.

"I think they might be ready." Shoraku said beside him.

"You think?" Issei raised an eyebrow, watching as Koneko nearly pummeled Kiba into the ground.

The sniper assassin nodded. "They may have small numbers, but it's the amount of skill that makes the difference." He said.

Issei couldn't argue with that. He had taken on many foes on his own before, but just know that he was a master in training back then. He was in training, but a master nonetheless.

When Issei saw that everyone was starting to get slower, he smiled. The day was close to ending, and tomorrow would be their last free day. So he would give them this, and let them relax their most likely, very sore bodies.

"Alright everyone, that's enough." He said, and everyone instantly fell to the ground.

Shoraku chuckled while Issei sweatdropped.

"Honestly...it's only been ten days. We went through rougher training for 6 years." He said.

"You forget that they weren't aware of our existence until recently. They know nothing of us apart from provided personal information." Shoraku said.

Issei grimaced. Rias was nice, but devils had many enemies, even among themselves. If assassin info gets into the wrong hands, it could prove to be a lot more trouble than intended.

* * *

"Come on uncle Haru!" A little girl giggled as she pulled a robed young man with her. She wanted to show him the river that ran through her family's large garden.

The Japanese assassin looked out of place in a country like Spain, but his presence wasn't unwelcome.

"Haha, I'm coming Nadya." He said. "You're full of energy today."

The little girl named Nadya was 7 years old. She had long brown hair—long for her age—tied into a ponytail. Her eyes were a wonder filled golden brown.

Komiharu smiled as he watched the little girl twirl in the grass. The smile on her face more than enough of a message to show her feelings.

"Nadya, Komiharu, come inside! Lunch is ready!" Nadya's mother called.

The assassin and the little girl turned back to the house. It was a single story house made with dark oak wood. It almost looked like a cozy cabin this far out with its large amount of land.

"We're coming momma!" Nadya grabbed Komiharu's hand and tried to run. Komiharu humored her and ran with her, letting her think she was pulling him along.

Up on the back porch of the large backyard, Nadya's mother smiled at the sight of her daughter's mile wide smile. They didn't get visitors often, especially since they liked the quiet of the country. Komiharu had actually gotten interested in the family's gardening business. This led to how they knew each other, and the assassin spent a good two weeks helping them with their business while keeping up with his own agenda.

"I swear, you're like the father she's always wanted." Nadya's mother said, making the assassin chuckle.

"Come now Stella, you know I'm still too young for parenting. Besides, my work would take up most if not all of my time." He replied.

Stella giggled as Nadya ran inside, and she gently gave the assassin a push on his chest. "I know Komiharu, but the thought is just too entertaining." She said.

"Now come inside, I tried making Yatsuhashi. I hope you like it." She ushered him inside, and went to the dining room.

Nadya was already sitting at the table. The table was a clean and shining mahogany, with a smooth oval shape. The table had three plates sitting on top of it. They were covered with the Japanese goody known as Yatsuhashi. Komiharu smiled at the sight, and sat down next to Nadya.

"Did you wash your hands, Nadya?" He asked. Nadya smiled and showed him her hands. There was a lingering moisture, showing she had indeed.

"I've never had Yatsuhashi before!" She exclaimed, turning to Komiharu. "Is it good?"

Komiharu smirked at her. "Good? It's a wonderful thing to have in your stomach!" He said, tickling her stomach as he spoke. Nadya was giggling happily before she reached for her plate.

"I see you're already starting. Well, did I do good?" Stella asked as she sat down with the two.

"I don't know, I haven't had a taste yet." Komiharu purposefully made her panic internally.

The assassin grabbed a piece, feeling that it was still warm. He smiled, and brought it to his lips, before opening his mouth and dropping the sweet inside. He chewed, and boy did he love the taste, the taste of home.

"Mmmm, now that's a good way to make someone happy." He said, making Stella sigh with relief. Nadya had already wolfed down her plate.

* * *

"Well, do you feel ready?" Issei asked Rias as the group sat outside and ate lunch together.

"Not exactly, but I'm more confident with what you've been teaching us." She replied with a slight smile.

Issei chuckled, before bringing a piece of meat up to his mouth.

"Hey Issei." He swallowed and turned his head to Rias.

"Yes?" He saw the redhead give another one of her inquisitive looks. He knew very well what she was going to say.

"Rias, you know I can't tell you more than what I already have. The safety of my friends is much too important." He said. Rias deflated some after that, but it was expected.

"Well, it was worth it." She sighed.

"So tell me more about this fellow we're helping you with. Riser, was it?" He asked.

Rias nodded. "Riser is the second son of the Phenex family. The Phenex family is part of the original 72 pillars. That means, much like my family, thery're of high status and pure blood."

"Pure blood... Sounds a lot like how they tried to keep England's royal family line pure back in the day." Shoraku mused.

"Yeah, but that was due to inbreeding. The devils have 72 completely different families that are pure blooded on their own." Issei said, with Shoraku nodding along with him.

Rias shuddered as she thought about having that close of a relation with a family member.

"Okay, can we change topics please?" Rias asked.

Issei and Shoraku both chuckled. "Sorry, let's get back on it. Is there any sort of advantages we might have against Riser?"

Rias shook her head. "There isn't much to work with. The Phenex family is known for two things. Their flames, and their legendary ability to regenerate." She explained.

Issei thought for a moment. "That will be a difficult factor to work with, but..." The brunette shared a look with his golden eyed companion. "We might be able to work with it." He finished with a knowing look.

Shoraku silently chuckled. He knew well enough what Issei was alluding to.

...

Dinner had been pleasant, and now, everyone was deep in slumber—save for the two assassins.

Shoraku was sitting on the roof of the manor, gazing out into the forest through the scope of his rifle. Issei stood behind him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You really think they have a chance?" The raven haired of the two asked.

Issei chose not to reply, he knew it was rhetorical. The brunette looked up at the stars, as if they had the answer, but found nothing. He sat down with his brother and spoke, "This conflict is rather pointless."

Shoraku rolled his golden eyes. "That's an understatement." He replied.

Issei chuckled with his raven haired friend.

"How are the others?" He asked after a few seconds had passed.

"Indra's holding the fort down, if you're worried." The sniper said as he looked into the distance.

"Hayato and Ichika?" Issei inquired further.

"They adapt easily, you know that." Shoraku said, turning his eyes towards Issei.

"You're more worried than usual." He stated.

Issei couldn't help but nod. "With good reason Raku, we've been exposed. Maybe not to the templars, but we're on the radar now." He said.

Shoraku couldn't argue with that, nodding in agreement. He absentmindedly pushed a cartridge into his rifle and pushed the bolt forward.

"I guess it's time we sleep then. It'd be wise to be rested before we have to put our bodies to use again." The golden eyed assassin commented.

Issei nodded, taking a step forward before gracefully leaping from the roof. Shoraku watched him with a slight smirk as he disappeared into the manor.

* * *

The following morning, everyone was sitting in the ORC clubroom. There was a solid silence filling the air. Issei and Shoraku both sat next to each other, quietly drinking tea served by Akeno. The two assassins were completely calm, already used to having the odds stacked against them.

Issei flicked his eyes over to Rias and saw she was still looking anxious, despite her reserved facade. Issei could tell. Shoraku blankly fingered his karambit knife, setting his empty cup down on the table.

"Well Rias, are you confident? Don't bother lying either." Issei said, breaking the silence.

The redhead swallowed before speaking. "A little bit." Was her reply.

The two assassin managed small smirks under their shadowed hoods. "Just a little? We must have not done our job correctly then. What say you Raku?" He asked his golden eyed friend.

"I think I should've had Kiba run for three hours straight instead of one." The sniper said, inwardly grinning at how he noticed the blond grow noticeably paler at the mention.

'They're devils in disguise.' The whole club thought.

Suddenly, a white flash got their attention, and Grayfia appeared in the room. The maid turned her gaze towards Rias.

"It's time lady Rias. Are you prepared?" She asked.

Rias took a deep breath and sighed. "As prepared as I could ever be Grayfia." She replied.

The silver haired maid nodded and turned her attention to Issei and Shoraku. "If you would, please step into the circle with the rest of the group. You will be transported to the arena via magic." She said.

The two nodded and did as instructed, stepping in with the rest of the club.

"I wish you luck lady Rias." Grayfia said before they were transported.

The redhead managed a smile at her before they all disappeared in a flash.

...

Issei looked around the room, getting the sense that he was still in the same place, but the atmosphere did feel different somewhat.

"It may look the same, but the arena is actually based off of the school's premises. It's essentially a pocket dimension so that we don't damage anything in the human world. This way, we can use our magic as much as we want without worry." Akeno explained.

Issei nodded, taking in the information. It was good to know, he wouldn't have to worry about the minor collateral damage that he was definitely expecting.

"The Rating Game between Lady Rias and Lord Riser will now begin." Grayfia's voice boomed over an invisible intercom.

"Time to get to work." He whispered to himself. The two assassins disappeared into the shadows before Rias could notice them.

"Is everyone ready?" The redhead asked as she finished explaining her plan.

"Issei, Shoraku?" She looked around the room and noticed neither of them were there. Sighing, Rias had everyone move put of the club building and get to their positions.

...

Ile and Nel waited very impatiently. Lord Riser positioned them, along with Xuelan and Mira at the gym. Lazy as he may be, Riser could still make tactical decisions, he just didn't make very many good ones.

"How long do we have to wait? I'm bored." Nel complained.

Xuelan rolled her eyes but could understand that despite being devils, the two were children, and children were often impatient.

"The enemy is supposed to be arriving here. We'll wait for as long as need be." The Chinese Rook said.

Mira however didn't bother trying to say anything. Her eyes roamed around, a feeling of uneasiness working its way into her stomach. It almost felt like she was being judged.

"You okay Mira?" Xuelan asked. The Rook felt bad for the blue haired girl. Despite being a loyal servant, Mira was still the weakest one in the peerage.

"I just...feel uneasy." The Pawn replied.

Xuelan nodded. For some reason, she felt the same way. She perked up quickly when she detected a magic signature.

"Come out servant of Gremory!" She called.

From behind the stage curtains, Koneko Toujou appeared. The white haired nekomata put on some fingerless gloves and went straight for Xuelan.

"Ah! Ow!" The Rook heard the cries of the twins and saw two brief flashes of blue. All that remained were two crossbow bolts on the floor.

Her eyes widened. Where were the others?! She hadn't been aware that Rias had more servants.

She quickly refocused as she felt Koneko land a kick into her side.

She took a Kung Fu stance and held her arms in front of her chest. It wouldn't do well to ponder right now. She saw koneko charge at her like a battering ram and braced her legs. But out of the void itself, she felt a phantom pain, and dared to look at the source.

In her calf, she found that a crossbow bolt had somehow found its way into her flesh.

That little moment of distraction was all Koneko needed to complete her attack, and slam the Chinese girl into the wall.

* * *

With Kiba, he had just finished setting his traps, but it seemed that the Pawns sent towards him had discovered them, and the illusion had broke. But the blond still felt confident, afterall, it was made to look like the clubroom, so they couldn't promote themselves.

Had the blond been more alert, he would have almost caught a glimpse of the color amber in his peripheral vision, a stark silhouette watching him.

"Aw, you're definitely my type. But orders are orders." He heard a voice break the silence.

Kiba held his sword in hand with a calm smile.

"I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I can't let you passed this point. I must protect my president afterall." He replied.

Shuriya, Marion, and Burent were the names of the three dispatched towards him.

Burent wore a smile while Shuriya smirked. Marion had but a humble grin on her features.

"Let's get to it, shall we?" Kiba asked, holding his sowrd in front of his body.

"Hn."

Shuriya and Burent both looked at Marion, hearing the sound come from her. Her grin had somewhat fell, and she took a step forward.

Before she fell flat on her face.

The girls looked horrified to find that a curved knife was embedded into her back, and even Kiba looked surprised. They had even sensed anyone else in proximity.

Marion disappeared in a flash of blue light, snapping them out of their stupor. Kiba made the first move in a dash, and easily slashed through Shuriya.

Burent jumped away as her peerage sisters were taken out. Who had taken down Marion? Where did they come from? She didn't even sense their presence!

"Focus on me for now!" Kiba taunted before he threw himslf at her in a burst of speed.

After the blond got rid of the Pawns, he looked up to the sky. A smile graced his lips as her spoke. "I don't know if it was you Issei, or Shoraku, but thank you for the asstance." He said, before moving up to the next position Rias had organized for him.

As the blond Knight left an amber colored silhouette watched him leave from the trees.

"Hm, kids these days." The sniper chuckled to himself.

...

Kiba managed to meet up with Koneko at the courtyard. The Knight and Rook were well aware of the trap set up for them. Most, if not the rest of Riser's peerage should be located here.

"Let's do this Koneko." Kiba said, changing his sword.

Koneko nodded in reply and walked with the blond.

When they reached the middle of the yard, they stopped and Kiba called out the pieces in hiding. "We know you're there! Come out now and face us!"

It wasn't long when in a swirl of dust and dirst, that a Knight appeared. It was a young lady dressed in armor, a mix between a European templar and a Japanese samurai.

"You must be quite insane to request a larger number of enemies to meet you head on." She said, holding a European longsword in her hands.

"On the contrary, I just want a fair fight. What is your name?" Kiba asked, taking his stance.

The girl smiled. "My name is Karlamine, Knight in service to Lord Riser." She claimed.

"My name is Kiba Yuuto, Knight in service to Lady Rias Gremory. Let us duel." He replied.

The two smiled at slashed at each other in a cloud of dust and clanging metal.

Koneko meanwhile was locked into a boxing match with Riser's remaining Rook.

Riser's last two Pawns, Ni and Li tried to sneak up on her, but before Koneko could even notice their presence, they both felt a brief sharp pain in their backs before their vision blurred blue.

The two Rooks noticed the flash, but quickly regined their compusure as Koneko used a headbutt to send Isabela back.

"All of Riser's Pawns have been retired."

Grayfia's voice boomed over the communication.

Koneko and Kiba both mentally smiled, knowing very well who could have been behind the sudden event.

Kiba broke away from Karlamine when he heard a roar directed at him, and saw Riser's other Knight, Siris, swinging her massive blade at him.

Before she made contact with a blade, there was brief sound of air being pierced, and Kiba could hear the faint familiar whiz of a bullet. Siris staggered as she felt the impact and fell forward.

"One of Riser's Knights has been retired."

Kiba took advantage of Karlamine's surprise, and charged. Karlamine thrusted her sword forward, but Kiba parried, and swung to the side, where he hit an open spot on her body.

"All of Riser's Knights have been retired."

"What? But how?" Isabela asked as she ducked underneath a deadly left hook.

Koneko simply smiled a small smile and kept throwing her punches. While she was distracted Kiba used his speed to flank the Rook and swung his sword into her shoulder.

"All of Riser's Rooks have been retired."

Kiba and Koneko both shared a fist bump. "Let's meet up with the President."

"Oh, I don't believe you'll get very far." A feminine voice said from above.

They looked up to see Yubelluna, Riser's Queen. She looked roughed up, Akeno had clearly done a number on her. They became concerned when they thought of their companion. They had yet to hear if she was retired, so she was obviously still in the game. But they didn't know for how much longer.

"But first..." Yubelluna pulled out a vial from her cleavage and was about to open it. As she uncorked the vial, a familiar phenomenon occurred and the vial shattered in her hand.

"W-What?! Who!" Yubelluna whirled her head around, seeing no one but Kiba and Koneko. It wasn't until she felt something sharp and multiple phantom pains, that she looked to see that she had an arrow in her abdomen and what looked like bullet wounds in her left arm and stomach.

"Riser's Queen has been retired."

* * *

As Kiba and Koneko hurried away to help Rias, Issei and Shoraku both watched with mysterious smiles on their faces.

"You're such a lousy shot." Issei commented.

"Oh? Tell me, who missed the heart by four inches?" The sniper retorted.

They both chuckled, before tossing their smiles to the side. There was only one target left. Riser was not going to go down without any sort of struggle, that much they knew.

But with the help of Rias and the others, it should be more likely to win and get this game over with.

They followed the sound of Rias' furious voice agruing with the Phenex heir. They were on the rooftop, with Riser standing with his blazing wings out proudly.

"I will only repeat myself one last time Rias. Simply surrender, and this will all be over with!" He said, holding something in his hand. As it turns out, that something was Kiba. the Knight looked more worn out than he did before, and Riser was holding him by the collar of his shirt.

"Perhaps I must burn your servant here to get my point across?" The blond suggested.

"Riser, no I-"

"We don't have much time. Do you have it Raku?" Issei asked, as the two listened to the interaction.

The raven haired boy nodded, and handed Issei a small glass bottle filled with water. "You only have one shot. Don't miss it." He said.

The brunette nodded thankfully before pulling himself through the window of the building and began to scale his way up, behind Riser's standing point.

It seemed that no one was aware of his approach, because the two heirs kept on yelling at each other, one angry and the other conflicted.

Issei slowed his pace as he steadily peaked over the edge, just right behind the Phenex heir. He peeked to see Akeno and Rias both panting very hard, as Asia tried healing Koneko as best as she could. Kiba was still within Riser's grasp.

"This is your last warning Rias!" He heard Riser's voice boom.

'Almost.' Issei thought.

"I won't ever surrender to you! I hate you more than anything!" Was the redhead's reply.

Riser growled as his flames flared up. "That's it! Say goodbye to your Knight!"

'Now!'

Issei used his trained upper body strength to throw himself over the ledge and rolled by his feet.

"What?!" Riser exclaimed, not expecting the assassin's approach.

Issei brought the little glass bottle to his mouth and ripped the cork out with his teeth. He quickly aimed for the upper body and threw the bottle.

'Come on!' Issei thought, hoping his plan would work.

Before the bottle even hit the Phenex heir's body, an unseen projectile impacted it, causing it to shatter and release its contents. The second the water touched Riser's body, his skin began to burn.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Riser let out a scream and let go of Kiba.

"UUURRRGH! WHA-WHERE DID YOU GET HOLY WATER?! DEVILS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO TOUCH IT!" He screamed.

Issei let loose his usual elusive smirk.

"I'm no devil." He said so low that Riser had to really focus to hear him.

Riser continued to scream while Issei got to his feet and slowly walked towards him. Riser suddenly got the sense of dread, as if Death himself was now in his very presence. Issei's ghostly figure struck a certain fear into him, keeping him paralyzed.

The master assasin tensed up his lower body muscles, and delivered a straight left kick into Riser's chest, sending him screaming until he hit the ground below.

A bright blue glow flared for a few seconds before Grayfia spoke over the intercom for the last time.

"Lord Riser has been defeated. Lady Rias wins the game."

...

Rias hugged Issei with happy tears running down her cheeks.

"I can't thank you enough." She said. Stepping back, she wiped her tears away and smiled. She turned her head towards Akeno and said, "Bring out the tea and cake. We need to celebrate our victory."

Issei gave Shoraku a brotherly pat on the back. "I knew you wouldn't let me down." He said.

The golden eyed sniper mocked offense. "Issei, you make it sound like I wanted you to die." He replied with a smirk on his lips.

"I'm just pulling your chain, Raku." The brunette said.

"And you know I always play along." Shoraku responded.

"You two should stay and have some of the cake." Rias said, catching the two of them.

The two assassins shared an unseen look. "Uh, we don't want to intrude on anything." Issei said.

"Yeah, this is your shindig, not ours." Shoraku added.

Rias scoffed and waved her hand at them. "You two aren't being a bother. Come on, at least have some tea before you decide to leave." She reasoned.

Issei sighed, reluctantly accepting her offer.

"Alright, we'll stay for a little." He said.

"Excellent. Akeno makes some of the best green tea." The redhead decided to brag a little, feeling high spirited from her-their victory.

The two assassins raised an eyebrow, but the gesture was hidden along with their shadowed faces. Issei smirked and said, "Well, let's see if that statement proves true."

* * *

Issei felt the warm sense of content drape its loving arms over his shoulders as he entered the hideout. Shoraku went over to where his cushions were strewn about in a random pattern. he laid his rilfe agasint the wall and set himself down on a particular blue colored cushion shaped like a bullet.

Issei smiled and headed over to his own resting area by the small library that they had. As he passed, he could see Indra already asleep with Fei lying on top of him, with her fuffly tail waving once every few seconds.

The master assasin felt his mood move up some before he took off his weapons from his person, and placed them neatly on the stand by his set of cushions. In the safety of his home, Issei pulled his hood down and settled his head into the softness of the cushions below his body. finding a comfortable position, he closed his eyes and welcomed slumber's motherly embrace.

Before he lost himself completely to the darkness of sleep, he was left with one thought.

'Our work has only started.'

* * *

And it's finally done.

As I said before uptop, I'm very late on this update, and I apologize very deeply for that. I've just recently graduated high school, so I've had some time to settle into my new schedule. I now have more free time than I did normally, so I should be able to update just a little bit better.

And as compensation for making the wait so long, I made sure to increase the length of this chapter, I hope it was satisfactory.

Now with all of that being said, we end this chapter here. Thank you all for being patient with me, and I hope to see you in the next one. Enjoy the rest of your day!


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